"The BIG 2" — Internet reacts to Drake and Kendrick Lamar becoming the first 2 rappers in 2025 to earn 1B streams on Spotify

Drake and Kendrick Lamar recently became the first two rappers in 2025 to earn a billion streams on Spotify. According to a report by Billboard dated January 17, 2025, Lamar's diss track Not Like Us surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. Drizzy achieved one billion streams on Spotify before Lamar as posted by @hiphopalldayy_ on January 28, 2025, becoming the first artist of 2025 to reach the milestone.

Netizens quickly took to X to comment on Drake and Kendrick Lamar's achievements, given the two have engaged in a controversial rap feud since 2024 and the former has sued UMG over Lamar's Not Like Us recently.

Referring to J.Cole dubbing himself, Drizzy, and Lamar as the "Big 3" in his track First Person Shooter, an X user tweeted:

"The BIG 2. We deaded that Big 3 talk"

"Big 2. J Cole is just a homeless man" an X user commented

Some netizens commented negatively against Kendrick Lamar, suggesting he reached one billion streams by dissing Drizzy while some mentioned that the One Dance rapper has double the tracks that Lamar does:

"One got it from his good music, the other got it from the hype of dissing the first guy, and Super Bowl lol" an X user mentioned

"Incoming “Kendrick needed that Drake stimulus package” comments." another X user stated

"this being close is crazy considering Drake has like double the amount of songs" an internet user said

Additionally, the Passionfruit rapper's fans appreciated his achievement:

"Damn all without dropping an album in 2024 , Amazing brother 🦉" a netizen tweeted

"Drake did this without releasing any music btw 🔥" another netizen commented

---

Universal Music Group asks Texas court to dismiss Drake's petition

After filing two legal petitions against Universal Music Group in November 2024, Drizzy filed a lawsuit for defamation against UMG on January 15, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

In the first petition filed in New York, the rapper claimed that Universal Music Group and Spotify artificially boosted the numbers for Kendrick Lamar's diss track Not Like Us.

In the second petition filed in Texas, the rapper accused the music company of defamation over Lamar's "falsely" accusing lyrics and claimed that UMG "funneled payments" to iHeartRadio concerning a "pay-to-play" scheme to promote the diss track on the radio.

However, on January 14, 2025, Drake withdrew the first petition filed in New York, leaving the Texas petition standing.

According to a report by Variety, dated January 24, 2025, Universal Music Group requested a Texas court to dismiss the rapper's petition accusing the company of indulging in a "pay-to-play" scheme.

Seeking dismissal of the petition under the Texas Citizens Participation Act wherein the burden of proving the allegations rests on Drake, the music company claimed that the rapper has no admissible evidence.

UMG's 144-page long filing mentioned that Drizzy offered nothing apart from his verified petition and that there is “no evidentiary support for his asserted need for pre-suit deposition of UMG.”

---

Universal Music Group discredited Drizzy's sources from his petition, asserting that the claims from unnamed and unidentified out-of-court declarants were hearsay and could not be used as admissible evidence.

The music company also requested the court to have the rapper pay for its attorney fee and costs related to its defense.