Kendrick Lamar came in second place with 11.6 billion streams. He’s followed by Travis Scott with 9.1 billion streams, and Kanye West with 8.6 billion streams. Future, Eminem, Playboi Carti, and more also made the top ten.

It doesn’t look like Drake plans on slowing down in 2026, either. In fact, he’s currently gearing up to drop his highly anticipated ninth studio album, ICEMAN.

Read More: DJ Akademiks Blames Drake & Kendrick Lamar Beef For Stalling Hip-Hop’s Progress

When Is Drake Dropping ICEMAN?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Akademiks TV (@djakademikstv)

At the time of writing, the project still doesn’t have an official release date, but it’s expected to arrive sometime in the next 12 months. Last week, he took to Instagram with a warning to the rest of the industry. In it, he made it clear he has big things planned. “I’m going on a last recording trip… There’s plenty to talk about. We’ll talk about it,” his post read. “ICEMAN coming soon, y’all boys better duck and get out the way.”

DJ Akademiks also delivered a promising message about the album a few weeks back, indicating that fans won’t have to wait much longer to finally hear it.

“Damn .. yall n****s really miss Drake… I’ll let him kno,” he wrote on Twitter/X at the time. “All the haters done change their tune .. maybe yall were right all he needed to do was to fall back n let yall realize ain’t sh*t popping out here without hm and now yall all remember the glory days huh…”

He concluded with a hint, writing, “[ice emoji] so soon.”

Read More: Drake Is Officially One Step Closer To Dropping “ICEMAN”

The post Drake Rings In 2026 With DJ Whoo Kid After Securing Huge Streaming Title appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Per the outlet, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper stopped a car on Interstate 15 in Utah County at around 4:30PM local time over a traffic violation. FOX 13 News suggests it was on Wednesday, December 31, but there are conflicting reports from Utah’s KUTV News. Three individuals were reportedly in the vehicle: an unidentified male driver, an unidentified female passenger, and a third passenger, YB himself. During the traffic stop, police conducted a probable cause search and seized unspecified illicit drugs in their discovery.

The male driver and female passenger reportedly claimed responsibility for the drugs, and the Utah County Attorney’s Office is reportedly screening charges for both individuals as of writing this article. Authorities reportedly did not arrest either individual, per KUTV News.

However, according to these reports, the Baton Rouge lyricist faces no charges at press time and police did not arrest him. It seems like the 26-year-old was not responsible in this situation and had nothing to do with the drugs. Still, considering NBA YoungBoy’s past legal trouble, this could’ve been a big headache if police charged him with anything or arrested him. Since getting out of jail, leaving house arrest, and dealign with a lot of legal scrutiny, he’s been working hard to stay out of trouble, minimize risk, and move on in his career.

Read More: G Herbo Puzzled After Being Asked If He’d Work With NBA YoungBoy

NBA YoungBoy In Utah

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Watch Live Bitez (@livebitez)

According to KUTV News‘ report on the matter, caught by Livebitez on Instagram, a confidential tip informed the outlet that the traffic stop also involved a large amount of money. UHP Sergeant Mike Alexander told the news station that there was money in the car, but that it didn’t seem connected to the drugs. He also stated that, to his knowledge, this will not result in future charges for YB in relation to this specific incident or to his previous legal hurdles.

For those unaware, NBA YoungBoy’s connection to Utah was a big part of his public image amid his legal trouble earlier this decade. That’s where he spent his house arrest over federal gun charges stemming from 2021, and from where he recorded and released a lot of music in the meantime.

Despite other NBA YoungBoy drama concerning cheating rumors related to Kai Cenat’s ex girlfriend Gigi Alayah, hopefully 2026 continues his improving trend of turning down the headlines and turning up crowds and fans. Despite much initial confusion, it seems like this traffic stop won’t pursue him further.

Read More: Who Is Gigi Alayah? Kai Cenat’s Ex-Girlfriend Who Got Caught Up In NBA YoungBoy Cheating Rumors

The post NBA YoungBoy Avoids Charges & Arrest After Riding Passenger In Drug Bust appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: January 1, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop / Rap

Album: N/A

Quotable Lyrics from Rap Up 2025

N****s callin’ Young Thug a snitch, and it’s all his fault
Even though what he said in that precinct, that get used in court
Now he feelin’ like Gunna, awkward as f*ck
He ain’t rappin’, he was in that precinct talkin’ too much

The post Rap Up 2025 – Song by Uncle Murda appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: December 31, 2025

Genre: Hip-Hop/Chicago Drill

Album: N/A

Quotable Lyrics from Harry Potter

Bought a charm when I could’ve bought a armada,
I be making dumb decisions like a darn toddler,
When my phone ain’t DND, b***h, it’s on holler,
Ain’t get my GED, but I get every dollar

The post Harry Potter – Song by Chief Keef appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

This wasn’t all Sounwave had to share, however. He also recently posted a clip of himself and Jack Antonoff working on the album. In it, Antonoff plays him a couple of snippets of Kendrick’s unreleased music and asks for his input.

For now, it remains unclear whether or not fans have new Kendrick to look forward to in 2026. Just a couple of weeks ago, however, he and SZA surprised fans with a performance of “30 For 30” at the 12th annual Top Dawg Entertainment Christmas event. At the event, he also spoke to another rapper from his neck of the woods, Chef Boy.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Sounds Rejuvenated On Fun New Snippet Shared By Sounwave

Will Kendrick Lamar Drop An Album In 2026?

“You going crazy!” he told him at the time. “We got one coming, it’s nothing. Say less.” This prompted social media users to go nuts with all kinds of theories about what he could have meant. Some even think Kendrick’s remarks mean he plans to drop a new album sometime in 2026. This, of course, is unconfirmed.

His supporters still have plenty of celebrating to do, though. Billboard recently reported that Kendrick and SZA’s “Grand National” tour was the highest-grossing rap tour of 2025. Between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025, the duo managed to rake in a staggering $369.6 million worldwide.

In second place is Tyler, The Creator’s “Chromakopia: The World Tour,” which brought in $174.5 million. Nelly’s “Where The Party At Tour,” Travis Scott’s “Circus Maximus Tour,” NBA YoungBoy’s “Make America Slime Again Tour,” $uicideboy$’s “Grey Day Tour,” and more also landed in the top ten.

Read More: DJ Akademiks Blames Drake & Kendrick Lamar Beef For Stalling Hip-Hop’s Progress

The post Kendrick Lamar Works On “GNX” In Never-Before-Seen Footage Shared By Sounwave appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Earlier this week, Drewski performed an opening set for Jones’ performance, and he played Fif’s “Many Men,” much to the surprise of folks who are keeping up with the feud. But he had an explanation.

“Hold on, I don’t know if I’m allowed to play 50 Cent in here tonight,” the Hot 97 DJ expressed. “Let me just ask Jim Jones if I can play 50 in here tonight. ‘Cause, you know, there’s a lot of things going on.

“Oh nah, Capo said it’s all good,” he remarked after checking his phone. “Let’s go! If you love hip-hop, sing along! Capo said it’s all good! Let’s rap about it!”

“Capo said it’s all POSITIVE VIBES going into 2026!” DJ Drewski captioned his IG post featuring this moment. “Mind the business that it pays you for [money bag emoji]. At the end of the day, it’s all entertainment.”

Read More: 50 Cent & Jim Jones Beef: A Brief History Of Tension

50 Cent’s Jim Jones Beef

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dj Drewski (@sodrewski)

Afterwards, this led to many people assuming that 50 Cent trolled Jim Jones by paying Drewski to play the track. The DJ then responded via an Instagram video the day after the show, shutting down this idea.

“I cannot be bought,” he stated. “People keep hitting me, ‘Yo, how much 50 give you?’ He didn’t give me nothing. First off, I had my own DJ Drewski set before Jim came out. I’m an entertainer, we’re just having fun. We understand the climate of Jim Jones and the podcast and what’s going on. And secondly, I was Jim Jones’ DJ for his set, for the concert. Why would I even play around like that if I felt like Capo wasn’t comfortable with it? He’s the one that taught us the hustle… So we were just having fun. Even when people in the crowd were saying ‘F 50,’ we said it’s positive vibes. So it’s all good, it’s all love.”

DJ Drewski’s Response

From there, Drewski said he and the Dipset MC have more shows on the way, ironically implying that he’s still open to working with 50. Or perhaps the opposite… Depends on your interpretation. While this seemed to be all in good faith, we doubt this will squash Fif and Capo’s beef.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dj Drewski (@sodrewski)

Read More: Fabolous Fans Hope His Cryptic IG Message Is A 50 Cent Warning Shot

The post Jim Jones’ DJ Denies Rumor That 50 Cent Paid Him To Sabotage Capo’s Set appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

This isn’t Kodiyakredd’s first run-in with police, as he was also arrested back in February on gun charges. Following the arrest, his brother Flyysoulja confirmed that they were no longer working together and that they were no longer on good terms. Apparently, he even moved out of their shared home because they were no longer seeing eye-to-eye.

News of Kodiyakredd’s arrest comes just a few weeks after rumors began to swirl that he was involved in an invasion of 6ix9ine’s home.

Read More: Island Boys’ Kodiyakredd Denies Taking Part In 6ix9ine Home Invasion

Did Kodiyakredd Break Into 6ix9ine’s House?

In November, a group of masked men broke into the rapper’s Florida home while he was away.

“Yesterday, they allowed me to leave for work. People saw that I was on livestream with Jack Doherty,” 6ix9ine announced. “They took that opportunity to f*cking do some p*ssy sh*t. It’s me, so I get it. The rules are different for me. If it was your favorite artist, your favorite actor and that was done, they don’t get no cool points for that. My mom is 60 years old. Y’all know I’m supposed to come home. Y’all know I’m home all the time. I’m on house arrest. So, y’all take the opportunity that I’m not home and y’all see me on livestream with Jack Doherty in Miami and y’all do that. That’s p*ssy sh*t.”

Amid rumors that he was involved, Kodiyakredd set the record straight, confirming that neither he nor his brother had anything to do with the incident.

Read More: Charleston White Announces More Boxing Matches After Beating The Island Boys’ Kodiyakredd

The post Island Boys’ Kodiyakredd Arrested On Drug Paraphernalia Charge appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by KaizerRev on Twitter, he reacted live on his stream to a TikTok from TMZ reporting police’s alleged confirmation that they did not file anything against him. Clavicular played “All I Do Is Win,” of course, and said, “Dubs in the chat, let’s f***ing go.”

However, it’s still unclear if he never received criminal charges to begin with or if police rescinded any original charges against him. Various reports on the matter present conflicting ideas, and even a fake mugshot hit the timeline amid all the chaos. In any case, it seems like this will not be a legal headache for Clavicular to deal with, although there’s still a lot of controversy.

Read More: The 40 Best Rap Albums Of 2025

Who Is Clavicular?

For those unaware, Clavicular is a popular “looksmaxxing” streamer known for his content rating facial features, body types, and giving men advice on how to improve their looks. This is far from his first controversy, whether it’s wearing a hat with the n-word on it or allegedly giving his girlfriend cosmetic peptides to reduce fat.

With this background in mind, this incident in which Clavicular allegedly ran over a stream sniper landed him in a lot of hot water. Others defended him, pointing out how the alleged stalker had harassed him and other streamers before. There’s still a lot of murky water. But it seems like the streamer is happy to bask in the drama and build off of it.

Meanwhile, Clavicular’s friends like Adin Ross supported him online while his Kick channel still couldn’t return. We will see if the lack of criminal charges here is the end of the story. After all, we haven’t heard much from the man that he allegedly ran over, although reports indicated that his condition was stable after the crash.

Read More: Who Is Gigi Alayah? Kai Cenat’s Ex-Girlfriend Who Got Caught Up In NBA YoungBoy Cheating Rumors

The post Clavicular Celebrates After His Criminal Charges Were Reportedly Dropped Over Cybertruck Incident appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“Then that documentary dropped on Netflix called The Reckoning / When he heard that sh*t drop he probably dropped to the ground / 50 the definition of kick a n***a while he down / Documentary was diabolical / It ruined you / They try to say you made Biggie pay for his own funeral,” he raps.

Uncle Murda’s rap up also touches on the audio of Young Thug allegedly speaking to authorities about Peewee Roscoe that leaked in August, along with his various prison phone calls that leaked.

Read More: Tony Yayo And Uncle Murda Share Blunt Take On Diddy’s Prison Sentence

What Did Uncle Murda Say About Young Thug?

“N****s call a Young Thug a snitch, and it’s all his fault / Even though what he said in that precinct, they get used and caught / Now he feelin’ like Gunna, awkward as f*ck / He ain’t rappin’, he was in that precinct talkin’ too much,” he raps.

“Rap Up 2025” also features bars about Cardi B having Stefon Diggs’ baby, Ja Rule getting jumped at a Brandy & Monica show, 50 Cent’s beef with Big and Lil Meech, and much more. As expected, listeners have a lot to say about all of this and are sharing their thoughts on social media.

“I’m just glad uncle murda knows that we still expect him to clock in on the 1st of each year,” one Twitter/X user says. “What Uncle Murda said about thug and gunna… but he’s right,” another claims. Someone else writes, “Uncle Murda is part of the holidays just like Mariah Carey.”

Social Media Users React To “Rap Up 2025”

Read More: Uncle Murda Hands Drake An L While Decimating Rick Ross & J. Cole In “Rap Up 2024”

The post Uncle Murda Targets Young Thug, Diddy & More In “Rap Up 2025” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by Kurrco on Twitter, he recently posted a video of him with fellow producer Jack Antonoff as they were working on the album. In it, Antonoff played the TDE affiliate two distinct snippets of unreleased K.Dot music, and asked for Sounwave’s input on the production side of things. The clip features a sample of The Jones Girls’ “Nights Over Egypt.”

When it comes to the sound of these new snippets, the first is quite lively, funky, and speedy. It features Kendrick rapping in his calm, casual tone with a bouncy flow, which contrasts a lot with the second snippet. This one is slower, still funky, but much more hazy by comparison. It’s unclear if Lamar himself is the high-pitched voice on the track. Either way, it got a lot of fans excited for 2026, and we’ll see if something actually manifests…

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Suggests He’s Dropping Soon And Fans Can’t Believe It

Kendrick Lamar Snippet

While we have not gotten many new snippets from the Comtpon lyricist in the aftermath of GNX, he’s been understandably busy. There’s still a huge demand for more from Kendrick, especially given how much he usually takes in between albums. Fans hope they won’t have to wait long, but at least they had his tour and feature verses to enjoy in 2025, on top of the big Grammys and Super Bowl moments.

Still, folks are tired of Kendrick Lamar’s beef with his rival Drake. Maybe that’s best for these new snippets, which didn’t make the cut of West Coast bangers but might fit better on a more loose and earthy release.

Elsewhere, Sounwave’s made more revelations about Kendrick Lamar’s GNX. “The beginning of it was throwing paint on the wall,” he told Variety. “And it started to form this massive funky West groove that we love because [Kendrick and I are] from Compton. I realized the people who we should bring in to push it even further. I was fortunate to have friends who are very talented.”

Read More: J. Cole Allegedly Had To Re-Record The Entire “Fall Off” Because Of Drake & Kendrick Lamar

The post Kendrick Lamar Sounds Rejuvenated On Fun New Snippet Shared By Sounwave appeared first on HotNewHipHop.