Kendrick Lamar Not Like Us: Feud, Lyrics & Super Bowl

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” detonated across hip-hop culture on May 4, 2024—a diss track so devastating it reshaped the Drake rivalry into a generational referendum on authenticity in rap. Produced by Mustard, the song accused Drake of pedophilic behavior and cultural appropriation while positioning Kendrick as the authentic voice of Black music traditions.

Release Date: May 4, 2024 · Duration: 4:34 · Producer: Mustard · Platform: Spotify single · Context: Drake-Kendrick feud diss track

The table below consolidates the core facts about “Not Like Us” and its place in the feud.

What’s the deal with Kendrick Lamar Not Like Us?

“Not Like Us” stands as the most viral moment from the Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud—a diss track that transcended rap beef and became a cultural event. Produced by Mustard and released May 4, 2024, the song accused Drake of pedophilic behavior and association with problematic figures, while positioning Kendrick as the authentic voice of hip-hop culture (Business Insider).

Background on the song

The track runs 4 minutes and 34 seconds, making it longer than a typical radio single but compact enough for viral sharing. Mustard’s production features a hard-hitting beat built for impact, and the song’s cover art shows an aerial shot of Drake’s Toronto estate marked with pins resembling a sex offender registry—a pointed visual statement (Business Insider).

Kendrick told SZA that “Not Like Us” represents “a man who has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something,” emphasizing authenticity over pandering (LA Times). The track topped Billboard Hot 100 charts following its release, signaling mainstream crossover success (YouTube).

Role in the feud

“Not Like Us” functioned as Kendrick’s knockout blow in the May 2024 exchange. The song dropped twenty minutes after Drake’s “Family Matters,” which itself had been a response to Kendrick’s earlier diss “Euphoria” (Wikipedia). The rapid-fire release schedule reflected the intensity of the battle.

The song drew a clear line between cultural authenticity and profiteering in hip-hop, with Kendrick framing Drake as someone who extracts value from Black culture without belonging to its traditions (Lyric Lab).

Why don’t Drake and Kendrick Lamar like each other?

The Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud traces back to September 2013, when Kendrick dropped a verse on Big Sean’s “Control” calling out Drake and several other rappers, declaring he wanted to be “the king of the fall.” That single verse planted seeds of rivalry that would bloom into one of hip-hop’s most publicized beefs (Time Magazine).

Origins of the beef

For years, the tension simmered without open conflict. The rivalry became public again in October 2023 when Drake collaborated with J. Cole on “First Person Shooter,” which included disses aimed at Kendrick Lamar (Business Insider). The escalation gained further fuel from Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” in 2024, where Kendrick again dissed Drake (Wikipedia).

Key diss tracks

The 2024 escalation produced a remarkable run of diss tracks. On April 30, 2024, Kendrick released “Euphoria,” targeting Drake (Business Insider). He followed with “6:16 in LA” on May 3, 2024 (Wikipedia). That same day, Drake released “Family Matters,” accusing Kendrick of domestic abuse and claiming Dave Free fathered Lamar’s son (Wikipedia). Twenty minutes later, Kendrick dropped “Meet the Grahams,” accusing Drake of sexual predation and a secret child (Wikipedia).

The feud peaked with this rapid exchange, culminating in “Not Like Us” on May 4, 2024, and Drake’s “The Heart Part 6” on May 5, 2024 (Business Insider).

What did Drake accuse Kendrick of?

Drake’s central accusations against Kendrick Lamar centered on domestic violence and questions about the paternity of Kendrick’s son. These claims appeared in “Family Matters,” released May 3, 2024 (Wikipedia).

Specific claims in diss tracks

In “Family Matters,” Drake alleged that Kendrick had been involved in domestic violence incidents in his relationship and claimed that Dave Free—Kendrick’s longtime partner—was the actual father of Lamar’s child rather than Kendrick himself (Wikipedia). Drake also suggested Kendrick would respond quickly to “Family Matters,” posting on social media before the track dropped (Wikipedia).

Kendrick’s response “Meet the Grahams” deflected these attacks while launching more serious accusations of sexual misconduct against Drake (Wikipedia). The accusations in both directions were severe, though none have resulted in confirmed legal action beyond Drake’s lawsuit against his label.

Legal response

Drake sued Universal Music Group in 2025, alleging the label defamed him by promoting “Not Like Us” and facilitating its release (Wikipedia). The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed, closing that legal avenue (Wikipedia). No criminal charges have emerged from any of the accusations exchanged during the feud.

Why is Not Like Us so popular?

“Not Like Us” became popular for reasons that go beyond standard diss track mechanics. The song arrived at a moment when hip-hop audiences were craving authenticity, and Kendrick delivered a track that felt both personally vindictive and culturally resonant (Magnetic Mag).

Viral elements

The track’s chorus—”They not like us”—became a viral refrain used beyond the song’s original context. Fans applied it to comparisons between artists, cultural moments, and everyday observations about authenticity versus performance (Magnetic Mag).

Kendrick’s wordplay drew particular attention. One line—”Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-Minor”—functions as a pun on musical keys while carrying darker implications tied to the accusations against Drake (Lyric Lab). The reference to amber alerts in the lyrics added another layer of provocative symbolism (The Mary Sue).

Cultural impact

“Not Like Us” won 5 Grammy Awards in 2025, cementing its status as a major commercial and critical success (Business Insider). Media outlets including The New York Times and Rolling Stone declared Kendrick the winner of the feud, a consensus that shaped public perception of the track’s cultural weight (Wikipedia).

Drake’s response track “The Heart Part 6” received negative reviews and reportedly accumulated over one million YouTube dislikes—a stark contrast to “Not Like Us” (Wikipedia). The discrepancy in public reception amplified the sense that Kendrick had won decisively. For a deeper dive into the complexities of a celebrated artist’s life, explore Кар’єра, діти та суперечки Лорен Хілл.

What was the hidden message behind Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show?

Kendrick Lamar performed at Super Bowl LIX in 2025, bringing “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” to the halftime stage in what became the most public validation of his victory narrative (Wikipedia).

Performance details

The Super Bowl halftime show gave Kendrick an audience of tens of millions—a stage unmatched in American pop culture. Performing both “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” at that venue underscored the tracks’ mainstream breakthrough (Wikipedia). The performance occurred amid ongoing tensions, as the feud had not reached any formal resolution at that point (YouTube).

Symbolic references

Kendrick positioned himself as Compton’s authentic voice against Drake’s Toronto outsider status—a regional framing that resonated with audiences who saw the feud as a clash between genuine hip-hop roots and commercial calculation (The Mary Sue). The Super Bowl stage amplified that narrative nationally.

The implication: “Not Like Us” isn’t just a diss track—it’s Kendrick’s argument that Drake is a cultural appropriator in hip-hop. For listeners who value authenticity, the song’s position carried more weight than any chart ranking.

For hip-hop audiences, the Super Bowl LIX performance in February 2025 marked the moment the feud narrative officially became settled history. For Drake, the UMG lawsuit dismissal means his legal recourse closed without success. What remains unresolved: whether the personal accusations carry any consequences beyond music, and whether this rivalry sparks again.

Related reading: complete feud timeline

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ lyrics, through their detailed lyrics breakdown, expose layers of accusations fueling the explosive feud with Drake.

Frequently asked questions