All right, let's jump right in.
Today, we're going deep on Kendrick Lamar's diss track,
Not Like Us, aimed right at Drake,
back in May it dropped,
and we got the YouTube video transcript
and the Wikipedia page,
and we're gonna look at everything,
the lyrics, the visuals, and the whole cultural firestorm,
this whole thing ignited.
Absolutely.
Now listen, we're not taking sides in this battle.
We just wanna break it down and see what makes it tick.
For sure, for sure.
Did you know Lamar actually let people use this commercially
for free for a while?
Oh wow.
I mean, can you imagine hearing that in a YouTube video?
Yeah, that's crazy.
That's wild.
Yeah, that's interesting.
So this track, it's intense.
Yeah, it is.
It's got that West Coast hyphy vibe, it's aggressive.
It is, yeah.
The producer said it's like Dr. Dre and Lil Jon
had a baby and I can hear it.
Yeah, I mean, it's got that hard-hitting West Coast sound,
but it's also got that Southern crunk energy.
And that's where the brilliance comes in.
They flipped this soulful 1968 sample.
I Believe to My Soul by Bobby Blue Bland, great song.
And to something menacing almost.
Yeah, it's really interesting how they take something
so soulful and make it feel so aggressive.
It's like a sonic tension.
Exactly.
And then there's that creepy, I see dead people
whisper at the beginning, gives me chills every time.
That's eerie, for sure.
And it connects back to Euphoria, his earlier diss,
and even to the sixth sense.
What's that all about?
Well, I think it's him setting the stage, right?
He's saying, look, there's something deeper here.
I see things that other people don't.
Yeah, like foreshadowing.
Yeah, exactly, some dark secrets are gonna be revealed.
And he doesn't mess around.
No, he doesn't.
The lyrics are brutal.
Yeah, they're really direct.
Accusing Drake of some serious things, pedophilia even.
Right, and he's referencing Drake's whole
certified lover boy persona there.
Yeah, and then it gets so personal, naming names.
Like Chubbs and Baca Not Nice from Drake's OVO crew.
OVO, yeah.
And he even brings up rumors about Drake's past.
Yeah, I mean, he goes there.
He does.
But you know what's really interesting to me
is how Kendrick positions himself
as the defender of black culture.
He's putting his Compton roots against Drake's
like exploitation of the Atlanta scene.
He calls out Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Young Thug.
All the big names.
Saying Drake's using them, you know.
Yeah, and he's saying, I'm the real deal.
Right, I'm authentic.
Exactly, and you're not.
So it's more than just personal attack.
Right, it's a cultural critique.
He's talking about the whole industry.
Right.
And where the lines get blurry.
Right, like what is a collab and what is exploitation?
Exactly, yeah, and he even ties in his hometown pride.
Oh yeah.
Compton landmarks.
Yeah, dissing Drake for acting hard
when he's really from Malibu.
Yeah, like remember Malibu's Most Wanted?
Oh yeah.
That's what he's referencing.
Right.
It's a pretty clever disco.
Okay, so we got the lyrics.
Right.
But the music video adds a whole other layer.
Yeah, for sure.
It dropped on July 4th.
America's Independence Day.
Seems deliberate.
Yeah.
Like a power move.
I think it was.
So think about it.
Yeah.
The video shows us everything he's saying in the song.
Right.
The pushups, you know.
Directly responding to Drake's diss from earlier.
Yeah.
There's that no OV hoes harm disclaimer,
almost like he's mocking the accusations.
Uh huh.
And then you've got Kendrick's family happy together.
Yeah.
Refuting the rumors Drake spread.
A visual clap back.
Exactly.
Carefully constructed.
Yeah, it's like a visual defense.
And the cameos.
Oh my gosh, don't.
J Rock, Schoolboy Q, Absol, his TDE crew.
Demar DeRozan.
Right.
Tommy the Clown.
The hip hop clowns.
Like it's a who's who of West Coast icon.
It is, it's a statement.
What's the message there?
It's like he's saying, look, look who's got my back.
Yeah.
Look at the legacy I'm a part of.
Right.
This is real, what you're doing is not.
All those cameos weren't just for show either.
Right.
Not like us blew up.
It did.
It broke streaming records, topped the charts.
It was everywhere.
And it wasn't just a rap thing.
No, it went way beyond that.
It went into sports, politics.
It was a cultural moment.
It's crazy how one song can reach so far.
It is.
It's a testament to how music can break down those boundaries.
Right.
This wasn't just about who had the better rhymes.
Yeah.
This got people talking about race, identity,
cultural appropriation.
It made people think.
Yeah.
Which is powerful, you know.
It is.
Remember when Kamala Harris used that
not like us line at the bet awards?
Oh yeah.
She turned it into a jab at Trump and the Republicans.
It was a pretty bold move.
It became like a whole political slogan.
It did.
And you know what's interesting?
What's that?
Politicians from both sides started using it.
Really?
Yeah.
It was like this way to point out differences
and challenge your opponent.
Wow.
So you see how a song, even a diss track,
can become part of the conversation.
The bigger picture.
Exactly.
The cultural and political discourse.
It even made it into her presidential campaign.
It did.
Who would've thought a song about rat beef would be
that influential?
Well it shows you the power of music, right?
Yeah.
Especially with younger voters.
Yeah.
They're more tuned in to pop culture.
So for them it's like a sign that Harris gets it.
Right, like she's in touch.
Yeah, she understands their world.
But it wasn't just politicians.
No, not at all.
Remember when Taraji P. Henson did that
not like us parody at the bet awards?
Oh yeah, during the monologue.
Yeah, hilarious.
And Serena Williams,
the crip walking to the song at the ESPYs.
Visconic.
It's like not like us became more than just a song.
Yeah.
It became this cultural touchstone.
Right, a way to express yourself.
To make a statement.
Yeah, and it was funny, empowering,
even a little controversial at times.
No, it's like.
It's wild how a diss track can become a tool
for both division and unity.
Yeah, you're right, it's complex.
And let's not forget the economic side of things.
Oh yeah.
Remember Tams Burgers and Compton?
The one Kendrick and Mustard visit in the video.
Yeah, their sales went up like 30% after the video dropped.
That's huge.
They even got a mural of Kendrick on the building.
Talk about a boost for a local business.
And it wasn't just Tams.
No.
Willy Chevarria, the clothing brand.
Yeah, their clothes were in the video.
Sales went up for them too.
Music videos can really make an impact.
Especially when they have that cultural resonance.
Exactly.
But it wasn't all positive though.
Right.
Some small businesses in Compton actually struggled
because of the video shoot.
Yeah, the crowds and the chaos
forced some shops to close temporarily.
And they lost money.
Yeah, they weren't happy about that.
It shows you how these big productions,
while they bring attention,
they can also have some unintended consequences.
For sure.
Like a double-edged sword.
It is.
Now we can't forget about Drake's response.
Oh.
What about Drake?
He finally addressed it all on his track,
The Heart Part Six.
Okay, and how did he handle it?
Well, he denied everything of course.
Right.
But there was this tension,
like he was trying to downplay it all.
Trying to minimize the impact.
Yeah, he even said he'd dance to Not Like Us
if it wasn't for all the bullshit.
Interesting.
So he's acknowledging the song's fire,
but brushing off the accusations.
Right.
Classic Drake.
Yeah, it's strategic.
Yeah.
By acknowledging how popular the song is,
he doesn't seem dismissive.
Right.
But by calling it bullshit,
he discredits Kendrick
without addressing anything directly.
Kind of cowardly, if you ask me.
Well, everyone's watching.
Yeah.
It's all about damage control.
True.
He's playing it safe.
So we've got the lyrics, the video,
the politics, the money,
even Drake's response.
It's a lot.
But I feel like there's still more to unpack.
Like what?
The fans, how do they react to all this?
That's where things get really interesting.
Yeah, because Not Like Us wasn't just a song.
No, it was a cultural event.
And it sparked some strong reaction.
Both positive and negative.
Right, like I remember people
tagging Drake's OVO store in London.
Oh yeah.
With lyrics from the song.
Wow, and there were even reports of people
trying to break into his mansion in Toronto.
Seriously?
Yeah, it's like these feuds,
they play out in public,
but they could have real consequences.
Right, it blurs the lines.
Between fantasy and reality.
Yeah, and it got pretty heated
at a Rick Ross concert in Vancouver.
Really?
He closed with Not Like Us.
Bold move.
And some Drake fans were not happy.
It's like music can be tribal, you know?
It is, these feuds are like sports rivalries.
Yeah.
People fiercely defending their team.
And with social media, things can escalate so quickly.
Oh yeah, for sure.
But amidst all the drama,
there were some really beautiful moments.
Oh yeah, like what?
Like when Kendrick performed Not Like Us
at his Juneteenth concert, he played it five times.
Wow.
And each time he brought out
more and more West Coast legends.
That's amazing.
There's this iconic photo of everyone on stage.
It's like a modern day, a great day in Harlem.
Yeah, I've seen that, it's powerful.
It was like turning a diss track into an anthem.
An anthem of solidarity.
West Coast pride.
Taking back the narrative.
And that's what's so fascinating about Not Like Us.
Right.
It's complex.
It is.
So many layers.
It's not just about a rap feud.
No, it's about authenticity, cultural ownership.
Right, and the power of music to start a conversation.
To inspire change.
Exactly.
It's a conversation that needs to happen.
Absolutely.
Not like us might've started as a diss track,
but it became something much bigger.
It did.
Something that still resonates today.
It's true, it's a conversation that's still going on.
You know?
Yeah.
Like think about all the stuff we talked about.
Right.
The slogans, the impact on businesses,
the fans choosing sides.
Yeah, not like us wasn't just a song.
No, it was a catalyst.
For real change.
Exactly.
It's amazing how one track can set off
so many different things.
Yeah, you've got debates and arguments, economic shifts.
That was like music has this power
to like weave itself into our lives.
In ways you don't always expect.
Right, yeah.
And it shows us that artists,
even if they don't mean to,
can be these powerful voices shaping culture,
starting conversations.
Kendrick maybe wanted to make a diss track,
but he ended up creating something way bigger.
Something that made us look at things.
Uncomfortable truths about the music industry.
Beyond.
Yeah.
Made people think.
And that's what good heart does, right?
Yeah.
Challenges us.
Makes us question things.
Starts conversations that we need to have.
Exactly, so not like us,
it wasn't your typical diss track.
No, it went beyond that.
It was about something bigger.
Something that people from all walks of life
connected with.
Yeah, and it left us with a lot to think about.
It did.
I mean, if a song about a rap feud
can have this kind of impact.
Yeah.
What does that say about the power of music today?
It's a powerful reminder.
Yeah.
Music isn't just entertainment.
Right.
It shapes how we think, what we do.
Yeah, it can even inspire social change.
And as we try to deal with all of these issues.
Grease, ideology.
Cultural appropriation.
Yeah.
Like us shows us just how complicated things are.
Exactly, the contradictions.
Well, I think we've officially reached
the bottom of this deep dive.
We've unpacked it all.
Lyrics, video, impact, reactions, the whole nine yards.
What a ride.
It's been fascinating.
The important thing is we don't just sit back
and watch this stuff happen.
Right, we got to engage with it.
We got to ask questions.
And be ready to have those tough conversations.
So thanks for joining us, everyone.
Yeah, thanks for listening.
This deep dive into Not Like Us is just one take on things.
One perspective on a complex story.
Keep exploring, keep asking those questions.
Keep diving deep.
We'll see you next time.