Current:Home > MarketsKendrick Lamar owns the summer with 'Not Like Us' music video, continues Drake diss -Elevate Profit Vision
Kendrick Lamar owns the summer with 'Not Like Us' music video, continues Drake diss
View
Date:2025-04-25 21:29:47
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! (145)
Related
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Pediatric anesthesiologist accused of possessing, distributing child sexual abuse material
- Global Microsoft CrowdStrike outage creates issues from Starbucks to schools to hospitals
- Journalist ordered to pay over $5,000 to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni for making fun of her height
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- What are your favorite athletes listening to? Team USA shares their favorite tunes
- 8.5 million computers running Windows affected by faulty update from CrowdStrike
- This Minnesota mother wants to save autistic children from drowning, one city at a time
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Plane crash in Ohio leaves 3 people dead; NTSB, FAA investigating
Ranking
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Arike Ogunbowale and Caitlin Clark lead WNBA All-Stars to 117-109 win over U.S. Olympic team
- Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify Monday about Trump shooting
- Gwyneth Paltrow Shares What Worries Her Most About Her Kids Apple and Moses
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Hundreds of Swifties create 'Willow' orbs with balloons, flashlights in new Eras Tour trend
- US hit by dreaded blue screen: The Daily Money Special Edition
- James hits game winner with 8 seconds left, US avoids upset and escapes South Sudan 101-100
Recommendation
Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Mixed Emotions
Trump's appearance, that speech and the problem with speculating about a public figure's health
Team USA's loss to Team WNBA sparks 'déjà vu,' but Olympic team isn't panicking
San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
Tour de France results, standings: Tadej Pogačar invincible with Stage 20 victory
Taylor Swift starts acoustic set with call to help fan on final night in Gelsenkirchen
Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line duo announces 'Make America Great Again' solo single