One could easily make the argument that Kendrick Lamar’s incredibly catchy diss-record aimed at Drake is the song of the summer of 2024.
Consider that “They Not Like Us” has been on the Billboard Top 100 chart for eight weeks, it’s been streamed more than 440 million times on Spotify, it will probably be nominated for a Grammy according to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, it has spawned several memes, and athletes from LeBron James to Russell Westbrook have publicly rocked with it. Even a LA Dodgers player used it as a walk-up song.
Simply put, Kendrick created a memorable banger and handed Drake a giant L.
And now, there’s a new level to the song.
Thursday night, the music video dropped. Within an hour, it had more than 1.7 million views on YouTube.
Warning: NSFW lyrics.
It contains several more not-so-subtle shots at Drake, and also features a cameo from NBA star DeMar DeRozan around the 2:43 mark.
DeMar DeRozan in Kendrick's "Not Like Us" video 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ku9dge2Vr2
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 4, 2024
DeRozan, you might remember, spent the first nine seasons of his career playing for Drake’s hometown team, the Toronto Raptors. DeRozan was a fan favorite of sorts, making four All-Star teams and helping the Raptors make the playoffs five times. He was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 2018 and has played for the Chicago Bulls since 2021.
In “They Not Like Us,” Kendrick raps:
“I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither.”
DeRozan hails from Kendrick’s hometown of Compton, California, and went to USC. And he’s chosen a side in this beef, it seems, by appearing in this video.