'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAIBAAAgEEAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDAAQFERIhM0FRgf/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIE/8QAGBEAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAiH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMynxOMOBaSBWt72IK3DjyWSNzpSPR6He/m6np5sZDNJELm8ARivaXwaUpUnl8LHNI//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Kendrick Lamar has seemingly reached the zenith of American Pop culture. First, he unceremoniously pulled Drake down in their beef. Then, he swept the Grammys. He punctuated this off by making a statement at the Super Bowl halftime show with a dizzying performance that will be discussed for years. He has turned every stone, crossed every ’t’, and dotted every ‘I’ emphatically with uncanny attention to detail.
Dot’s approach now has him in rarefied air regarding several career milestones. He is on the cusp of being Spotify’s most streamed hip-hop artist in a single month since its public release in October 2008. On the heels of this, Kendrick Lamar's 'HUMBLE' has now sold over 20M units and is eligible for double diamond status. Once certified, the standout record will be the first-ever double-diamond rap song released in history.
Double Diamond Dot
‘Humble’ was released on March 30, 2017, along with its music video in a joint release by TDE, in conjunction with Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. Produced by Mike Will Made It, the lyrics seem to be a direct call for humility in an age of pervasive entitlement. It was the lead single Damn, Lamar’s fourth solo studio album.
‘Humble’ was truly significant for Kendrick as it was not only his second number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 but his first time reaching that distinction as the lead artist. He previously hit the landmark with a featuring appearance on Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’. ‘Humble’ also received a total of four Grammy nods that year at the 60th annual ceremony, ultimately winning for Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video.
Trending
As of now, only one song has ever earned the elusive mark that Kendrick is currently after. The track in question was Post Malone and Swae Lee’s ‘Sunflower’, from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack in 2018. The important distinction between the two is that ‘Sunflower’ was not categorized as a pure rap song as it leaned more into pop territory.
As far as ‘Humble’ goes, this is an interesting pick from his discography to reach this summit as it is more pop than most of his previous work. Die-hard fans do not necessarily have a significant tie to it, but casual and less discerning hip-hop listeners have propelled the tune to unthinkable heights.
Your perspective matters!
Start the conversation
