Yesterday The Recording Industry Association of America deemed streaming on-demand audio and/or video streams and a track sale usable when solidifying Gold & Platinum Album Awards. Effective immediately, the new rule gave way to seventeen artists and bands achieving new statuses now that 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album sale. Rappers Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar's latest albums Dark Sky Paradise and To Pimp A Butterfly, respectively, are now officially certified Platinum.

Both received word of the news yesterday, with Big Sean taking to Instagram to announce the news: "D**n near tears of joy in my eyes! We worked very hard for this one...We ended coming back stronger than ever w/ this album and I'm just grateful! Grateful for the fans who stuck with us and support us through thick n thin, Ye for giving a kid from Detroit a shot n just believing in me, Def Jam, Roc Nation and everyone involved that had something to do with this project. I'm better than I ever been and I can't wait to give u more!"

Though Kendrick Lamar has yet to make a statement, TDE owner Anthony Tiffith tweeted fans to "save all the congrats." "No cheat codes 2 platinum... #TDE," he wrote, adding "ole skool rules" still apply. View both responses responses in the gallery.

Source: RIAA/Instagram/Twitter |photo credit: Splash News