Lil Baby has helped his fellow rapper Central Cee achieve a remarkable new career milestone. On June 1, chart data X, formerly known as Twitter, revealed that their collaboration, ‘BAND4BAND,’ set a new record for the largest streaming day for a song by a UK rapper on Spotify, amassing 5.26 million streams in just one day.
Not only did ‘BAND4BAND’ set streaming records, but it also debuted at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Central Cee’s highest charting position in the US to date. Central Cee had previously held the streaming record with his 2023 hit ‘Sprinter,’ a collaboration with fellow UK artist Dave.
Central Cee has been making waves in the music industry, catching the attention of major rap stars. In April, he was spotted in the studio with Bronx rapper Ice Spice. Fans speculated about a potential romantic connection between the two after Ice Spice posted photos of them together on Instagram. She captioned the photos ‘alright,’ while Central Cee shared one of the pictures with the message, ‘Lord forgive me as I’m a sinner.’ Fans were quick to comment on their chemistry, with some hoping for more than just a musical collaboration.
Despite the rumors, the two appear to share a mutual respect for each other’s artistry. Central Cee praised Ice Spice in a Complex interview, saying, ‘She reminds me of me a bit… she’s cool innit. Humble, down to earth, don’t really care too much about the shiny stuff; but knows how to play the game.’ He added, ‘You can hear that in the music, and see that in the moves that she makes, and I appreciate that because some people don’t really know what they’re doing, and they take it for granted or they don’t take the opportunity and run with it — but she’s really running with it right now.’
Central Cee’s success with ‘BAND4BAND’ and his collaborations with artists like Lil Baby and Ice Spice highlight his rising influence in the rap world. This latest streaming record is a testament to his growing popularity and the impact he’s having on the music scene.
