Kendrick Lamar Set To Dominate The Billboard Top 10 And Nab A No. 1 Song In The Process

BYGabriel Bras Nevares964 Views
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Entertainment: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Apr 23, 2017; Indio, CA, USA; Kendrick Lamar performs during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club. Mandatory Credit: Zoe Meyers/The Desert Sun via USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
"Give 'em what they ask for."

Many people in 2024 put forth the idea that Kendrick Lamar doesn't have a lot of successful hits. Funnily enough, it feels like his new album GNX has nothing but that. Moreover, this is not only another great body of work from the Compton lyricist, but it's also probably his most blunt and immediate one to date, which translates pretty well into catchy choruses, banger beats, and high-rising hits. New first week projections indicate that he will land eight cuts from the record on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, including a prediction that "squabble up" will go all the way at number one.

Per this sales projection, "tv off," "luther," "wacced out murals," and "hey now" will occupy slots two through five. Then, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars will interrupt Kendrick Lamar's streak via "Die With A Smile" at number six, followed by Shaboozey's ever-present "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" at number seven. Then, the K.Dot train continues with "reincarnated," "man at the garden," and "dodger blue" rounding out the top ten in descending order from eight. Not bad, if you ask us.

Kendrick Lamar Could Take Over The Billboard Hot 100

While the topic of Kendrick Lamar and sales is a particularly spicy one now, the legal petition from Drake actually has very little to do with that battle. In either case, people would still spin GNX a lot, and we predict that this is the project that will carry us out into the end of the year. Folks are very curious to see how it actually performs commercially, especially considering that sales projections for it just get better and better. Also, the lack of promotion for the LP given its surprise nature makes these numbers particularly interesting to analyze.

Meanwhile, the praise for GNX remains high among fans and critics alike, even from unexpected corners. Kendrick Lamar definitely found a hit with this new album, and that's amazing when you think about fans' theories of a better, more purposeful album on the way. Even if that's true, we're happy to wait a while for it. This Hot 100 projection shows that this entire project has a lot of resonant ideas.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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