Drake has once again set a new benchmark in music streaming history. In 2026, the iconic Toronto emcee became the first rapper to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify within a single year, accomplishing the feat in just 20 days. The achievement underscores his rare combination of global reach, loyal listenership, and sustained momentum across releases.
Sheesh. One billion streams in 2026? It’s not even February.
Get this, the milestone follows a dominant 2025, where Drake finished as the most streamed rapper on Spotify overall.
Way we see it, his influence extended beyond rap, as he was also the most streamed artist of any genre on Apple Music that same year. The cross platform success highlights an artist whose audience spans demographics, regions, and musical tastes.
The bottom line is continues to separate Drizzy from his peers is consistency. That part.
As we reported a hot second ago, 15 plus years into his storied career, his catalog performs at a level usually reserved for new releases. That staying power is reflected on the charts, where his 2011 album Take Care remains a presence on the Billboard 200, a rare accomplishment for a project released more than a decade ago. We’re talking about Take Care is charting, still. What the actual F?
Reaching 1 billion Spotify streams in less than three weeks is more than some random viral moment. It is the result of long term trust, cultural relevance, yeah that part and an ability to evolve without losing his core fan base. In other words, the 6 God is still a tour de force and has been for years.