Not Like Us

Vorlage:Short description Benutzer:RMCD bot/subject notice Vorlage:Use mdy dates Vorlage:Infobox song

"Not Like Us" is a diss track written and recorded by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on May 4, 2024, via Interscope Records, amidst his ongoing feud with the Canadian rapper Drake. It is Lamar's fourth installment in his series of Drake-targeted diss tracks, and premiered less than 24 hours after his previous single, "Meet the Grahams".

Produced by Mustard, "Not Like Us" is a hyphy-influenced West Coast hip hop song composed of a prominent bassline with lively brass instruments and finger snaps. Its lyrics continue the themes introduced in "Meet the Grahams" by doubling down on Drake's pedophilia and sexual misconduct allegations, while also accusing him of exploiting Atlanta's music and cultural scenes for street credibility and financial gain.

"Not Like Us" was met with widespread acclaim from music critics, who viewed the single as Lamar's victory lap as his feud with Drake started to wind down. Complex named it the best track in their conflict and the sixth-greatest diss track off all time.[1] The Ringer regards it as the seventh-greatest diss track of all time.

Commercially, "Not Like Us" broke several streaming records and became the first rap song to debut at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 with a limited tracking week. It also reached the top spot in South Africa and peaked in the top 20 in Australia, Canada, and countries across Europe.

Background and release

Vorlage:Further American rapper Kendrick Lamar and Canadian rapper Drake have been engaged in a rap feud since August 2013. Tensions escalated in March 2024, following Lamar's surprise appearance on Future and Metro Boomin's single "Like That", which was perceived as a diss aimed at Drake and J. Cole over their track "First Person Shooter". Drake responded to Lamar's verse with the single "Push Ups" and the since-removed song "Taylor Made Freestyle". Lamar fired back with the songs "Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA".[2]

Hours after "6:16 in LA" was released, Drake responded with the single "Family Matters", which accused Lamar of abusing his romantic partner Whitney Alford and alleged that one of his two children was fathered by his creative partner, Dave Free. Less than an hour later, Lamar responded with "Meet the Grahams", which described Drake as an alleged sexual predator who runs a sex trafficking ring inside of his Toronto mansion, known as the Embassy, while fathering a secret daughter.[3]

"Not Like Us" was unexpectedly released on May 4, 2024, less than 24 hours after "Meet the Grahams" was published.[4] The only prior marketing that the song received came from Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, the head of Lamar's former record label Top Dawg Entertainment, who posted, "Dot, I see dead people" on X (formerly Twitter) approximately two hours before its premiere.[5] Like Lamar's previous releases during the feud, "Not Like Us" was initially released as a YouTube exclusive before Interscope Records serviced it to music streaming platforms several hours later.[6] Universal Music promoted the song on radio airplay in Italy on May 10, 2024.[7] The single's cover art shows a bird's-eye-view of the Embassy from a Google Maps screenshot with 13 red markers placed on its roof, symbolizing the presence of registered sex offenders.[8]

Music and lyrics

"Not Like Us" is a "club-friendly" West Coast hip hop track with strong hyphy stylings.[9] Several elements of its production, including the "stirring" violins, piano and brass instruments, were taken from a sample of Monk Higgins' 1968 composition "I Believe to My Soul".[10] Mustard, who produced "Not Like Us", sped up the sample's tempo to create a "relentless" and "urgent" atmosphere heightened by its additional bassline, snare drums, and finger snaps.[9][11] HotNewHipHop's Demi Phillips wrote that the production emphasizes the "aggressive tone" of the song and allows Lamar's vocal performance and lyricism to "cut through."[11]

The song begins with Lamar whispering "psst, I see dead people", a reference to the 1999 psychological thriller film The Sixth Sense.[12] Throughout the track, he raps in a "comically exaggerated" Southern accent as he continues attacking Drake for his alleged inappropriate behavior with minors and other personal incidents.[8][13] One of the events mentioned involves Drake having sexual relations with one of Lil Wayne's girlfriends while he was incarcerated at Rikers Island, and later getting Wayne's face tattooed.[14] Lamar uses Drake's 2021 album Certified Lover Boy to label him and his OVO crew as "certified pedophiles": he specifically claims that Baka Not Nice, a convicted sex trafficker, should be "registered and placed on neighborhood watch."[15][16]

Lamar also takes several opportunities to challenge Drake's cultural identity. The chorus of "Not Like Us" has been alluded to him stating that "rap practitioners" such as Drake are unlike his caliber, "one that organically abides by the given morals of Black culture."[17] Lamar further suggests that Drake's portrayal of blackness likens him to Brad "B-Rad G" Gluckman (portrayed by Jamie Kennedy) from the comedy film Malibu's Most Wanted (2003), the Jewish protagonist that glamorizes gang culture and aspires to become a rapper.[6] In the third verse, Lamar flips Drake's comment about how he raps like he is about to "get the slaves freed" in "Family Matters" to not only claim that he misused the term "slave", but to also accuse him of exploiting Black artists from Atlanta for street credibility and financial gain.[8] He uses his previous collaborations with Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Quavo and 2 Chainz as examples of him forming "calculated strategies" over "authentic connections"; actions Lamar considers to be a form of colonialism.[9][18]

Critical reception

"Not Like Us" was met with widespread critical acclaim for its contagious production, Lamar's vocal performance, and scathing songwriting. GQ's Frazier Tharpe dubbed the track as a leading contender for the "song of the summer". He praised how the "banger" summoned Mustard's "raucous, party-starting homegrown energy" to deliver Lamar's "haymaker" that both out-strategized Drake and celebrated their West Coast upbringings.[19] Stereogum editors found the song to be not only an "ultra-effective" diss record, but a hit filled with "vicious" allegations and history lessons.[10]

Jordan Rose of Complex declared "Not Like Us" as the best track released during Lamar and Drake's feud due to its electric tone and "contagious" production, although much of the lyrics are "very questionable". He writes that "time will tell" if the song marked the "end conclusion" of their war, but it has already proven itself to be "the stone that stunned Goliath."[20] Vibe's Armon Sadler ranked "Not Like Us" as the second-best track of the feud, praising the "undeniable bop" as a "masterclass" in execution.[21] Mark Elibert from Billboard, who named it the fourth-best song, shared similar sentiments.[22]

In May 2024, Rolling Stone has named "Not Like Us" as the 'Number One Song in the Country'[23].

Commercial performance

"Not Like Us" was an immediate commercial success. It broke the record for the biggest single-day streams of a hip hop song in Spotify history, earning about 12.8 million streams on May 11, 2024; surpassing Drake's "Girls Want Girls" featuring Lil Baby.[24] The song also overtook Drake's "In My Feelings" for the most song streams in a week by a rapper (81.2 million) and "God's Plan" for the fastest rap song to surpass 100 million streams on Spotify (9 days).[25] The single debuted atop the Billboard Global 200, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Streaming Songs charts simultaneously.[26]

On the Billboard Hot 100, "Not Like Us" debuted at number one on the chart dated May 18, 2024, opening with 70.9 million streams, five million radio airplay audience impressions, and 15,000 copies sold. It registered the highest first-week streaming figure for a hip hop song since Billboard removed YouTube song user-generated content from its chart metrics in 2020, surpassing Drake's "Way 2 Sexy" featuring Future and Young Thug. As Lamar's fourth number-one single and first solo number-one debut, "Not Like Us" became the first rap song in history to top the Hot 100 with a shortened tracking week of five days.[27] It also marked Mustard's first number-one single and debut as a producer, and one of the only chart leaders to be penned by a sole writer.[28]

Impact

Upon release, "Not Like Us" made a significant impact on contemporary popular culture. Fans of Lamar customized the Embassy's location tag on Google Maps with labels such as "Owned by Kendrick", "A-Minor", and "Kendrick's Dog".[29] In his response track "The Heart Part 6", released the following day, Drake admitted that he would have liked to dance to "Not Like Us" if Lamar was not "tripling down on some whole other bullshit."[30]

Major professional sports leagues such as the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have used "Not Like Us" in their broadcasts, which include:[31]

Celebrities such as basketball player LeBron James, rapper Rick Ross and singer-songwriter Billie Eilish have been spotted singing and dancing to "Not Like Us" at public gatherings, which commentators took interest in given their respective relationships with the song's performer and subject.[33][34] A close friend with both parties, James is one of Drake's earliest supporters since his 2009 mixtape So Far Gone.[35] Eilish, who is a fan of both, received criticism for her friendship with Drake after she revealed in a Vanity Fair interview that he regularly texts her. Drake was 33 years old at the time, while Eilish was 17.[36] She later defended their relationship in an interview with Vogue by calling critics sensitive and hypocritical.[37]

Former WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels retweeted on the platform X, Lamar's announcement about the release of "Not Like Us" and invited Kendrick and Drake to settle their differences in the WWE ring. This was likely in response to Kendrick's reference to Michaels' iconic Sweet Chin Music move in the song.[38] Actor Shia LaBeouf sided with Kendrick, tweeting, "Wop wop wop wop wop," a line from "Not Like Us."[39]

At actors, Seth Rogen's "Smokes the Bowl," a benefit event for Los Angeles' Netflix Is a Joke Fest, Rogen shared his thoughts on why he believes Drake lost the battle. "I think the moment you have to defend yourself in a rap song against being a registered sex offender, you've lost the rap battle," the comedian remarked.[39]

Following the diss track, Drake’s OVO store in London, UK was vandalised with ‘Not Like Us’ Lyrics.[40]

The commercial success and cultural impact of "Not Like Us" have been examined by various journalists. Billboard staffers opined that its zeitgeist-capturing content, release strategy and outcome have made it one of the biggest diss tracks of their lifetimes.[41]

Credits and personnel

Charts

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Chart performance for "Not Like Us"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[42] 5
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA)[43] 2
Croatia (Billboard)[44] 18
Denmark (Tracklisten)[45] 16
France (SNEP)[46] 103
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[47] 14
India (IMI)[48] 14
Italy (FIMI)[49] 68
Latvia (LAIPA)[50] 4
Lithuania (AGATA)[51] 8
Luxembourg (Billboard)[52] 8
MENA (IFPI)[53] 5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[54] 6
North Africa (IFPI)[55] 17
Norway (VG-lista)[56] 11
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[57] 71
Saudi Arabia (IFPI)[58] 6
Singapore (RIAS)[59] 29
South Africa (TOSAC)[60] 1
South Africa (Billboard)[61] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[62] 17
UAE (IFPI)[63] 4

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Not Like Us"
Region Date Format(s) Label Vorlage:Abbr
Various May 4, 2024 Vorlage:Hlist Interscope [64]
Italy May 10, 2024 Radio airplay Universal [7]

References

Vorlage:Reflist

Vorlage:Kendrick Lamar songs

  1. ↑ 50 Best Hip-Hop Diss Songs of All Time In: Complex, 14 May 2024 „6. Kendrick Lamar, Not Like Us“ 
  2. ↑ Drake and Kendrick Lamar's feud — the biggest beef in recent rap history — explained In: The Washington Post, May 7, 2024. Abgerufen im May 11, 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch). 
  3. ↑ Tom Smyth: A Complete Track-by-Track Timeline of Drake and Kendrick Lamar's Feud. In: Vulture. 5. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 11. Mai 2024 (englisch).
  4. ↑ Kyle Eustice: Kendrick Lamar Has No Chill—Drops Another Drake Missile "Not Like Us". In: AllHipHop. 4. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 4. Mai 2024.
  5. ↑ Vorlage:Cite x
  6. ↑ a b Matthew Strauss: Kendrick Lamar Doesn't Wait for Drake Response, Drops Another New Diss Song "Not Like Us": Listen. In: Pitchfork. 4. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 4. Mai 2024.
  7. ↑ a b Eleonora Fusi: Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us (Radio Date: 10-05-2024). In: EarOne. 7. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 7. Mai 2024 (italienisch).
  8. ↑ a b c Jem Aswad: Kendrick Lamar Drops Yet Another Drake Diss Track, 'Not Like Us', 4 May 2024. Abgerufen im 5 May 2024 
  9. ↑ a b c Trent Fitzgerald: Here Are the Complete Lyrics for Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us'. In: XXL. 5. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024 (englisch).
  10. ↑ a b Kendrick Lamar, Drake, & This Week's Best New Songs: Listen. In: Stereogum. 10. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024 (englisch).
  11. ↑ a b Demi Phillips: Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" Lyrical Breakdown. In: HotNewHipHop. 8. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024 (englisch).
  12. ↑ Vorlage:Cite magazine
  13. ↑ Jordan Rose: Breaking Down All of the Ways Kendrick Lamar Attacked Drake on "Not Like Us". In: Complex. 5. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 6. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  14. ↑ Bruna Nessif: Lil Wayne Breaks Down the Moment He Found Out Drake Slept With His Girlfriend. In: E! 30. September 2016, abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024.
  15. ↑ Jade Gomez: Kendrick Lamar Claims Drake Slept With Lil Wayne's Girlfriend in Latest Diss. In: Complex. 4. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 4. Mai 2024.
  16. ↑ Danielle Chelosky: Kendrick Lamar Just Released A Fourth Drake Diss Track, "Not Like Us". In: Stereogum. 4. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 4. Mai 2024.
  17. ↑ Ime Ekpo: How Kendrick Lamar Challenged Drake’s Cultural Identity In ‘Not Like Us’. In: Forbes. 7. Mai 2024, archiviert vom Original am 8. Mai 2024; abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024 (englisch).
  18. ↑ Mark Elibert: Kendrick Lamar Is Back at 'Colonizer' Drake's Neck With New Diss Track "Not Like Us": 'Certified Pedophile'. In: Complex. 4. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 4. Mai 2024.
  19. ↑ Frazier Tharpe: In the Midst of War, Kendrick Lamar Delivered the Song of the Summer. In: GQ. 13. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  20. ↑ Jordan Rose: Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s Diss Tracks, Ranked. In: Complex. 7. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 15. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  21. ↑ Armon Sadler: Drake And Kendrick Lamar’s Diss Songs So Far, Ranked. In: Vibe. 9. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 15. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  22. ↑ Mark Elibert: All the Drake and Kendrick Lamar Diss Tracks, Ranked. In: Billboard. 5. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 15. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  23. ↑ Andre Gee: The Number One Song in the Country Is a Diss Track. Is That a Good Thing? In: Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024 
  24. ↑ Preezy Brown: Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" Breaks Drake's 2021 Spotify Record For Most Streams In A Day. In: Vibe. 7. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 8. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  25. ↑ Kelli Johnson: Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ shatters streaming records. In: FOX 11. 14. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  26. ↑ Gary Trust: Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso,’ Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Lead Billboard Global Charts. In: Billboard. 13. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  27. ↑ Vorlage:Cite magazine
  28. ↑ Gary Trust: Mustard Earns His First Hot 100 No. 1 as a Producer Thanks to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’. In: Billboard. 14. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  29. ↑ Gabriel Bras Nevares: Kendrick Lamar Fans Label Drake's House On Google Maps: "Owned By Kendrick". In: HotNewHipHop. 5. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 6. Mai 2024 (englisch).
  30. ↑ Jordan Rose: Breaking Down Drake’s “The Heart Part 6”. In: Complex. 6. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 15. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  31. ↑ a b c James Brizuela: Kendrick Lamar's Diss Track Targeting Drake is Taking Over the Sports World. In: Newsweek. 8. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2024 (englisch).
  32. ↑ David Suggs: Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef, explained: Why 'Not Like Us' is being played at Dodgers games, on NBA broadcasts. In: Sporting News. 8. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 18. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  33. ↑ Mike D. Sykes II: LeBron James partying to Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" might be Drake's biggest L yet. In: USA Today. 10. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 19. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  34. ↑ Mitchell Peters: Billie Eilish Dances and Sings Along to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Drake Diss In: Billboard, 18 May 2024 
  35. ↑ Michael Saponara: Drake Recalls LeBron James' Early Support When 'Nobody Believed' In Him. In: HipHopDX. 22. August 2023, abgerufen am 19. Mai 2024 (englisch).
  36. ↑ Jacob Stolworthy: Drake called 'creepy' after Billie Eilish reveals rapper texts her In: The Independent, November 30, 2019. Abgerufen im May 19, 2024 (englisch). 
  37. ↑ Rob Haskell: How Billie Eilish Is Reinventing Pop Stardom. In: Vogue. 3. Februar 2020, abgerufen am 19. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  38. ↑ Doric Sam: Shawn Michaels Invites Kendrick Lamar and Drake to WWE After Shout Out in Diss Track In: Bleacher Report, 6 May 2024 
  39. ↑ a b Here’s What Some Celebrities Think About Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s Rap Beef In: XXL Mag 
  40. ↑ Larisha Paul: Graffiti Artist Tags Drake’s London OVO Storefront With Kendrick Lamar ‘Not Like Us’ Lyrics In: Rolling Stone, 8 May 2024 
  41. ↑ Kyle Denis, Angel Diaz, Andrew Unterberger, Carl Lamarre, Jason Lipshutz: What Will the Commercial Success of ‘Not Like Us’ Mean for Kendrick Lamar’s Career — Or Drake’s? In: Billboard. 14. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 18. Mai 2024 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  42. ↑ ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association, 20. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2024.
  43. ↑ ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association, 20. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2024.
  44. ↑ Vorlage:Cite magazine
  45. ↑ Track Top-40 Uge 19, 2024. Hitlisten, abgerufen am 15. Mai 2024.
  46. ↑ Top Singles (Week 19, 2024). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique, abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024 (französisch).
  47. ↑ Tónlistinn – Lög. (deutsch: The Music – Songs - Week 19). Plötutíðindi, archiviert vom Original am 11. Mai 2024; abgerufen am 11. Mai 2024 (isländisch).
  48. ↑ IMI International Top 20 Singles for week ending 13th May 2024 | Week 19 of 52. In: IMIcharts. Archiviert vom Original am 13. Mai 2024;.
  49. ↑ Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 20. Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana, abgerufen am 18. Mai 2024 (italienisch).
  50. ↑ Straumēšanas TOP 2024 – 19. nedēļa. (deutsch: Streaming TOP 2024 – Week 19). LAIPA, 13. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 15. Mai 2024 (lettisch).
  51. ↑ 2024 19-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA, 10. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 10. Mai 2024 (litauisch).
  52. ↑ Vorlage:Cite magazine
  53. ↑ The Official Mena Chart - This Week's Official MENA Chart Top 20 from 03/05/2024 to 09/05/2024. In: theofficialmenachart.com. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2024.
  54. ↑ NZ Top 40 Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ, 13. Mai 2024, abgerufen am 10. Mai 2024.
  55. ↑ The Official Mena Chart - This Week's Official North Africa Chart Top 20 from 03/05/2024 to 09/05/2024. In: theofficialmenachart.com. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2024.
  56. ↑ Singel 2024 uke 20. VG-lista, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2024.
  57. ↑ OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie. OLiS, abgerufen am 16. Mai 2024 (polnisch).
  58. ↑ The Official Mena Chart - This Week's Official Saudi Arabia Chart Top 20 from 03/05/2024 to 09/05/2024. In: theofficialmenachart.com. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2024.
  59. ↑ RIAS Top Charts Week 19 (3 - 9 May 2024). RIAS, archiviert vom Original am 14. Mai 2024; abgerufen am 14. Mai 2024.
  60. ↑ Local & International Streaming Chart Top 10 Week 19-2024. In: The Official South African Charts. RiSA, abgerufen am 16. Mai 2024 (britisches Englisch).
  61. ↑ Vorlage:Cite magazine
  62. ↑ Veckolista Singlar, vecka 19. Sverigetopplistan, abgerufen am 13. Mai 2024.
  63. ↑ The Official Mena Chart - This Week's Official UAE Chart Top 20 from 03/05/2024 to 09/05/2024. In: theofficialmenachart.com. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2024.
  64. ↑ Vorlage:Cite magazine
Quelle: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Not_Like_Us&oldid=245207714