Current:Home > MarketsKendrick Lamar owns the summer with 'Not Like Us' music video, continues Drake diss -Ascend Finance Compass
Kendrick Lamar owns the summer with 'Not Like Us' music video, continues Drake diss
View
Date:2025-04-18 14:10:44
Kendrick Lamar isn't done with his Drake shakedown. In fact, he's come for the Toronto rapper's song of the summer trophy.
On July 4, Lamar released the music video to his Drake diss track "Not Like Us" — a pointed release date after calling his adversary a "colonizer."
The music video, directed by Lamar and Dave Free, celebrates California culture from dance to landmark locations and has visual responses to some of the disses in Drake's tracks "Push Ups" and "Family Matters."
As Lamar warned in "Euphoria," he's the "biggest hater."
The "Not Like Us" music video opens with him doing push ups on cinderblocks in response to Drake's "Push Ups."
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
He later uses owl symbolism in reference to the mascot for Drake's record label OVO Sound and makes it clear they're enemies. In one shot, Lamar smashes an owl piñata, while a disclaimer on the bottom of the screen reads: "No OVHoes were harmed during the making of this video."
A breakdown:All 9 Drake and Kendrick Lamar 2024 diss songs, including 'Not Like Us' and 'Part 6'
As the final victory lap, Lamar ends the video dancing with his partner Whitney Alford and their two children to the catchy tune. Drake alleged in "Family Matters" that the Compton rapper abused Alford and that Free is the father of one of their kids.
Everyone wanted a Drake 2016 summer. Now he's 'Not Like Us.'
"Not Like Us" released on May 4 as a catchy clapback to Drake, who has insulted Lamar's ability to make a radio hit.
The DJ Mustard-produced song calls Drake a "certified pedophile" and has everyone from children to adults drawing out the incendiary lyric: "Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A-Minor." Lamar also comes for Drake's industry friendships, his appropriation of certain aspects of Black American culture and shoots his lyrics back at him saying it was "God's plan to show y'all the liar."
Ironically, Drake once owned the song of the summer. "One Dance," "Controlla" and "Too Good" from his 2016 album "Views" created a holy trinity of sorts for summer anthems. There wasn't a party without them.
For a while it was Drake vs. Drake. In 2017, he came back with songs "Fake Love" and "Passionfruit." In 2018, he managed another song trifecta with "God's Plan," "In My Feelings" and "Nice For What." In 2020, he had a brief comeback with "Laugh Now Cry Later" and "Life Is Good" by Future. However, Drake's summertime success waned with his follow-up albums "Certified Lover Boy," "Honestly, Nevermind" and "For All the Dogs" leaving the gap open for a new successor.
Drake effectively became the victim of the music expectations he set with Lamar's "Not Like Us" becoming the millennials' "Hit 'Em Up" by 2Pac (a vicious diss to Biggie Smalls).
Kendrick Lamar performs Drake diss'Not Like Us' 5 times at Juneteenth 'Pop Out' concert
"Not Like Us" (in addition to Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso") has replaced the yearning for summer 2016. We are finally living in the present, with a diss track calling the Toronto rapper a pedophile that has united different gang affiliations.
The culture driven by Lamar's diss track rollout from "Euphoria" to "6:16 in LA" to "Meet the Grahams" to "Not Like Us" has proved that hateration in this dancerie is winning in summer 2024.
Will Drake win back his song of the summer title? He's got two months to try.
veryGood! (379)
Related
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Small anti-war protest ruffles University of Michigan graduation ceremony
- Travis Kelce Makes Surprise Appearance at Pre-2024 Kentucky Derby Party
- Police searching for clandestine crematorium in Mexico say bones found around charred pit are of animal origin
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- How many calories are in an apple? Nutrition facts for the favorite fruit.
- If Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves didn't have your attention before, they do now
- The American paradox of protest: Celebrated and condemned, welcomed and muzzled
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Cinco de Mayo 2024 food and drink specials: Deals at Taco Bell, Chipotle, TGI Fridays, more
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Swanky Los Angeles mansion once owned by Muhammad Ali up for auction. See photos
- Ariana Madix Pays Tribute to Most Handsome Boyfriend Daniel Wai on His Birthday
- What to know about the 2024 Kentucky Derby
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Warren Buffett’s company rejects proposals, but it faces lawsuit over how it handled one last year
- What a judge’s gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
- With PGA Championship on deck, Brooks Koepka claims fourth career LIV Golf event
Recommendation
Trump's 'stop
I-95 overpass in Connecticut scorched during a fuel truck inferno has been demolished
Shooting in Los Angeles area injures 7 people including 4 in critical condition, police say
Former security guard convicted of killing unarmed man during an argument at a Memphis gas station
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
What a judge’s gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
How Kristi Yamaguchi’s Trailblazing Win Led to Her Own Barbie Doll
Shooting in Los Angeles area injures 7 people including 4 in critical condition, police say