In the UK, “Band4Band” (Columbia) stands out as the only UK rap single to break into the Top 10 this year. It’s also the fastest-selling rap single of the year to date, surpassing releases from artists like Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
Debuting at No. 4 in the UK, “Band4Band” became the highest new entry with 51,335 units consumed, driven largely by 6.9 million streams in the past week.
The single has set the record for the largest week-one streaming total on Spotify for a British artist in 2024, currently boasting 21 million streams on the platform.
It is also the first UK rap track to reach the Spotify Top 20 Daily Chart since J Hus’ “Who Told You” featuring Drake.
“Band4Band” marks Central Cee’s biggest week-one global performance since “Sprinter,” outperforming his tracks “Doja,” “Let Go,” and “Too Much.”
The collaboration with Lil Baby follows Central Cee’s joint project “Split Decision” with Dave, which included the hit single “Sprinter” (680 million Spotify streams), as well as 2023 features like “Too Much” with Kid Laroi and Jung Kook, and “Nice To Meet You” with PinkPantheress.
Central Cee’s manager, Bello, celebrated a win at the Music Week Awards this month, where the UK rap star was also recognized in the Music & Brand Partnership category with Sony Music’s 4th Floor Creative and JD Sports.
Earlier this year, Central Cee won two more MOBO Awards for Best Male and Song of the Year for “Sprinter,” bringing his total to six MOBO Awards. He was also nominated for four BRIT Awards at this year’s ceremony.
Last year, Central Cee became the first UK rapper to reach two billion streams on Spotify alone. He has now amassed over six billion global streams.
Watch the “Band4Band” music video
By Andre Paine
