A few years ago, Drake spoke publicly about making a “graceful exit” from music—a comment that left many OVO loyalists uneasy. Yet, even if the Toronto superstar stepped away for half a decade, his numbers suggest his impact would barely slow down. Following the release of his collaborative project with PARTYNEXTDOOR, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, Drake’s streaming performance proves that both his old and new catalog remain remarkably durable.
In a new milestone, the rapper has reportedly surpassed 16 billion streams on Spotify, placing him comfortably ahead of his hip-hop contemporaries. This achievement extends his record as the most-streamed artist in Spotify history. Data from Kworb also shows that Drake currently leads all rappers in daily streams, pulling in 51.6 million per day at press time. He edges out Bad Bunny (51.5 million), The Weeknd (41.1 million), and Kanye West (24.1 million).
Drake’s influence, however, goes beyond streaming figures. Fat Joe recently credited him with helping keep rap music active on the Billboard Hot 100 amid concerns that the genre was slipping from the Top 40 for the first time in decades.
The momentum is expected to build further as fans await Drake’s rumored upcoming project, ICEMAN, which is speculated to drop in 2025. A recent interview with Complex intensified the buzz, with Drake and his team hinting that the album’s final form will represent their “best work.”
Speaking on the rollout, Drake explained why he’s leaning into a more interactive approach.
“I watch murder docs a lot, and as you get invested, you start trying to solve things before you even know where it’s headed,” he said. “It’s this sleuth energy… It’s crazy to see people make two, three-hour videos building conspiracies. It’s interactive content, and that adds such a desirable element—more so than a music video with cars and tings.”
With record-breaking numbers and excitement building around ICEMAN, 2025 is shaping up to be another landmark year for the 6ix God.
