Kendrick Lamar’s Monumental 2025: Grammy Wins, Chart Records, and a Historic Tour with SZA
It goes without saying—2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary for Kendrick Lamar. The Compton lyricist has dominated headlines, awards shows, and charts all year long, solidifying his spot as one of the most influential artists in modern music. It all started with a bang in February, when he scooped up five Grammy Awards at the 2025 ceremony. A major portion of that success came from his explosive Drake diss track, Not Like Us, which set social media and the rap world ablaze.
Just days after his Grammy sweep, Kendrick took center stage at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in New Orleans, delivering a memorable performance that further proved his artistry transcends the studio. But as impressive as those milestones are, they barely scratch the surface of what Kendrick has achieved this year.
Back in November 2024, he surprised fans with the unexpected release of his sixth studio album GNX. The project has been a force to reckon with, dominating the Billboard charts for months. In fact, GNX recently broke a major record—it is now the longest-running No. 1 in the history of Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart. One of its standout tracks, luther featuring SZA, has also made history by becoming the longest-running No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.
Kendrick and SZA’s chemistry on luther clearly resonated with fans, and they’ve extended that synergy to the stage. Since April, the two stars have been lighting up arenas across North America on their co-headlining “Grand National” tour. The tour kicked off in Minneapolis and wrapped its U.S. leg in June. Now, the duo is preparing to take the show overseas, with stops lined up in Cologne, Amsterdam, Paris, London, and more. After Europe and the U.K., they’ll continue their global run in Mexico and South America come September.
The impact of the “Grand National” tour has already been historic. Just last week, it was crowned the highest-grossing co-headlining tour of all time, an achievement made even more impressive considering the tour isn’t over yet. According to reports, Kendrick and SZA have pulled in a staggering $256.4 million so far, smashing previous records and raising the bar for future collaborations.
As 2025 progresses, Kendrick Lamar continues to expand his legacy—not only as a Grammy-winning rapper and chart-topper, but as a live performer with global impact. With the second half of the year still unfolding and a world tour in motion, it’s clear that Kendrick isn’t done making history just yet.
