Kendrick Lamar heightened his ongoing musical feud with Drake by unveiling “Not Like Us,” his third track in 36 hours, early on a Saturday evening. Uploaded to Lamar’s official YouTube channel, the song’s presence there ensures its authenticity amidst an age where AI deepfakes are a concern. The visual component portrays an aerial perspective of Drake’s mansion outside Toronto, overlaid with symbols from a sex offender map.
Driven by a straightforward keyboard loop, “Not Like Us” showcases Lamar adopting a humorously exaggerated Southern accent. It kicks off with a whisper—“Pssst: I see dead people”—before delving into a barrage of personal attacks on Drake. Lamar addresses the controversy surrounding Drake’s comments about dating younger women, quipping, “Say Drake, I hear you like ‘em young / You better not have to go to Cell Block One.” He further skewers Drake’s 2021 album title, dubbing him a “Certified Lover Boy” and insinuating the epithet “certified pedophile.” Lamar punctuates this segment with a musical pun, highlighting Drake’s attempts at provocation.
Towards the conclusion, Lamar shifts focus to Atlanta, referencing the rappers Drake has collaborated with in the city. He takes aim at Drake’s diss track against him (“Family Matters”) and his 2018 hit “God’s Plan,” asserting, “You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars / You not a colleague, you a fuckin’ colonizer / The family matter, and the truth of the matter / It was God’s Plan to show you’re a liar.”
The song fades out with Lamar leading a female chorus chanting “O-vee-ho,” a playful jab at Drake’s OVO label, while poking fun at his track “Toosie Slide” once more.
This rapidly unfolding feud has captured the attention of observers, beginning with Lamar’s initial shots at Drake and J. Cole on “Like That,” which prompted responses from both artists. The conflict has since escalated, drawing in various figures from the music industry. In the span of 36 hours, Lamar dropped a diss track titled “6:16 in LA” on Friday morning, followed by response tracks from both artists later that day—Drake’s “Family Matters” and Lamar’s “Meet the Grahams.”