Kendrick Lamar Named Billboard’s Top Hot 100 Songwriter And R&B/Hip-Hop Artist Of The Year For The First Time

Kendrick Lamar has been named Billboard’s Top Hot 100 Songwriter and R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of 2025, with the Pulitzer Prize-winning Compton rapper receiving both year-end honors for the very first time. This caps off a banner year for Lamar, fueled by his chart-topping GNX album and its record-breaking hit “Luther,” a collaboration with SZA that topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for a historic 31 weeks. The surprise GNX release debuted at No. 1 and maintained strong chart presence throughout the year, also aided by Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance. Alongside being the overall top artist and songwriter, Lamar earned additional Billboard year-end titles, being named Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Artist – Male, and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist – Male, while GNX ranked second for Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums behind SZA’s SOS, which reclaimed the top spot that it first reached in 2023. In addition to “Luther,” Lamar and SZA’s other hit collab, “30 for 30,” landed at No. 4 on the year-end Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, with Kendrick placing three additional tracks in the Top 10: “TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay (No. 2), “Not Like Us” (No. 5), and “Squabble Up” (No. 7). (Billboard)