More than a year after Kendrick Lamar released his socially-concious, thought provoking record DAMN., the success just keeps on coming. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), as of May 25, all 14 tracks on DAMN. have been certified Platinum, recognizing 1 million equivalent song units earned in the U.S.
One equivalent song unit, as recognized by the RIAA, is equal to: one digital song sale, or 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams. The RIAA revamped its Gold & Platinum Awards Program on Feb. 1, 2016, growing from a pure sales certification process to one that includes tracks and streams.
The most-sold song to date is “HUMBLE.,” which has gone 7x platinum. “LOVE.” follows with 4x platinum and “DNA.” with 3x platinum.
In April, Lamar was announced as the winner for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Music for DAMN., marking the first hip-hop record to win the award.