Kendrick Lamar has dropped the music video for “Not Like Us,” marking another triumph.
The West Coast legend, 37, released the highly anticipated video, which he co-directed with creative partner Dave Free, on July 4. This release is a celebration of both his Compton roots and his recent victory over fellow rapper Drake, following months of rivalry.
The Ongoing Drake-Kendrick Lamar Feud
What had started off as friendly banter between the two rappers is now known to be the “hottest rap battle of the decade”. Although Canadian rapper Drake and American rapper Kendrick Lamar have been feuding since the early 2010s, their rivalry intensified in March 2024 with the release of “Like That” by Future, Metro Boomin, and Lamar as a response to Drake and J. Cole’s song “First Person Shooter”.
Which was later followed by a series of diss tracks by both the rappers to give rise to what we know as “Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud”.
Highlights and Cameos in the Music Video
On The American Independence Day, July 4, 2024, the music video for “Not Like Us” debuted. Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar, with choreography by Charm La’Donna, who also served as associate producer, the video features Tommy the Clown and is set in Lamar’s hometown of Compton, California.
Notably, the video features a rare appearance by Lamar’s fiancée, Whitney Alford, and their two children, Uzi and Enoch, whom Drake referenced in his diss tracks “Push Ups” and “Family Matters.” The family stands for a black-and-white, portrait-style image at the very end of the video, and then the scene switches to Alford and Lamar dancing happily together to additional Drake diss tracks.
The video concludes with a close-up of Lamar gazing at an owl perched on his arm, which he then locks in a cage before turning his back on it.
Release and Reception of “Not Like Us”
By the following morning, it had garnered over 13 million views on YouTube. CNN and NME highlighted the high anticipation for the video’s release, and it received widespread acclaim. Many publications and websites praised it as another victory for Lamar in his feud with Drake. The video countered several allegations and claims that Drake had dissed Lamar, featuring Lamar’s family dancing joyfully and credits stating, “Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar.” It was seen as a re-ignition of the feud and regarded as Lamar’s “knockout punch” against Drake.
