’30 for 30′ Gives Kendrick Lamar More History on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart
Written by djfrosty on March 21, 2025
The Kendrick Lamar parade atop Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart extends for another week, as “30 for 30,” the rapper’s collaboration with SZA, rallies 5-1 to crown the list dated March 29. The track replaces Lamar’s two-week leader “TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay, which itself captured the summit from Lamar and SZA’s other active radio-promoted single, “Luther.” By linking three successive No. 1s, Lamar becomes only the fourth artist to achieve the feat in the 31-year history of the radio ranking.
“30 for 30” surges to No. 1 as the most played song on U.S. panel-contributing mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations in the tracking week of March 14-20, according to Luminate. The song added 14% more plays in the latest tracking window compared to the prior week; the swell gives “30 for 30” the chart’s weekly Greatest Gainer honor, awarded to the song with the largest play increase. Southern stations led the final push, with four of the five stations that recorded the most “30 for 30” plays this week — WQBT-FM (Savannah, Ga.), WHXT-FM (Columbia, S.C.) WHZT-FM (Montgomery, Ala.) and WZGB-FM (Louisville, Ky.) — from the region.
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The Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart ranks songs by weekly plays on more than 70 mainstream R&B/hip-hop (also known as urban) radio stations monitored by Mediabase, with data provided to Billboard by Luminate.
With “30 for 30,” SZA banks her fourth No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. She previously ruled twice in 2023, with “Shirt” and “Snooze,” and added her third, “Luther,” another Lamar collaboration, earlier this month.
For Lamar, “30 for 30” gives the rapper his ninth career No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. To rundown his collection:
- “Swimming Pools (Drank),” nine weeks at No. 1, beginning Dec. 8, 2012
- “F–kin Problems,” A$AP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar; two, Feb. 9, 2013
- “Humble.,” nine, June 3, 2017
- “Love.,” feat. Zacari; six, Dec. 30, 2017
- “Like That,” with Future and Metro Boomin; three, June 1, 2024
- “Not Like Us,” 12, June 22, 2024
- “Luther,” with SZA; one, March 8, 2025
- “TV Off,” feat. Lefty Gunplay; two, March 15, 2025
- “30 for 30,” with SZA; one (to date), March 29, 2025
Further, by linking three successive No. 1s without interruption on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, Lamar is only the fourth artist — and first entirely in lead or co-lead capacities — to achieve the feat since the chart launched in 1993. On the overall list, he joins:
- 50 Cent in 2005, through one lead role (“Candy Shop,” feat. Olivia) and two featured roles, both on tracks by The Game (“How We Do” and “Hate It or Love It”)
- Lil Wayne in 2011, through one lead role (“How to Love”) and two featured roles (Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation” and DJ Khaled’s “I’m on One,” also with features from Drake and Rick Ross)
- Drake in 2018, through two lead roles (“God’s Plan” and “Nice for What”) and one featured role (BlocBoy JB’s “Look Alive”)
Elsewhere, “30 for 30” repeats at its No. 5 high on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. Despite no change in rank, the song improved 9% to 13.2 million in weekly audience at the format.
All charts dated March 29 will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, March 25.