Compton crowds again up Kendrick Lamar in long-awaited music video for ‘Not Like Us’

Kendrick Lamar has dropped the long-awaited music video for his viral Drake diss monitor, ‘Not Like Us’.

Launched on July 4 and co-directed by the rapper alongside Dave Free (who Drake had additionally dissed in ‘Household Issues’), the video includes a slew of West Coast icons, together with cameos from Tommy the Clown, producer Mustard – sporting a Toronto Blue Jays cap – and former Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan.

The Compton MC opens with a brand new set of bars, which additionally name-drops Los Angeles native and ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ collaborator Kamasi Washington: “Reincarnated, I used to be stargazing’ / Life goes on honey all of my infants / Awakened, lookin’ for the broccoli / Scorching key, preserve a horn on me, that Kamasi / IP possession, the possession is by me / Mister get off, I get off at my toes.”

Alongside the way in which, Lamar works out in a sparse room populated by simply audio system and canvases, performs alongside Crip-Strolling dancers, visits Tam’s Burgers and brings out an enormous crowd onto Compton’s streets to jam alongside to the monitor.

Close to the top of the video, Lamar additionally dances together with his accomplice Whitney Alford and their two youngsters – seemingly pushing again in opposition to Drake’s accusations in opposition to Lamar of infidelity and household mistreatment.

Notably, Lamar additionally takes purpose at Drake’s label OVO. Declaring “no Ov-Hoes had been harmed on this video”, he destroys an owl piñata – referencing the brand of Drake’s label. The MC then ends the video staring down an owl in a cage, earlier than strolling away in darkness.

Anticipation for the video grew after pictures and clips of Lamar filming the video unfold on social media earlier final month. The video shoot, in line with LA Times, filmed throughout iconic Compton places together with Compton Metropolis Corridor, Enterprise Park and Nickerson Gardens and featured greater than 1,000 bouncing followers, whereas additionally counting artists like Steve Lacy, Roddy Ricch, YG and Thundercat in attendance. Stills from the music video emerged on-line the night time earlier than its launch, furthering anticipation for the clip.

Since its launch earlier in Could, ‘Not Like Us’ has change into a record-breaking success for Lamar. It grew to become his fourth Billboard Scorching 100 Quantity One single, following his characteristic on Future and Metro Boomin’s ‘Like That’, the track that ignited his feud with Drake this yr.

The Drake diss additionally grew to become probably the most streamed hip-hop track per day on Spotify, racking up 6.8million performs on a day and greater than 440million complete streams on the service.

At his latest ‘The Pop Out: Ken & Associates’ Juneteenth live performance particular held in Los Angeles, Lamar carried out the diss monitor 5 consecutive instances, bringing out Dr. Dre as a particular visitor to ship the monitor’s opening line: “Pssst, I see lifeless folks”. Throughout the present, the rapper additionally included a brand new verse that referred to as for Drake to return the ring Tupac wore on the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards, which the Canadian artist seemingly bought at an public sale.

Two weeks in the past, the CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr., stated ‘Not Like Us’ could be eligible for the Grammy Awards, explaining that whereas diss tracks weren’t generally nominated, Kendrick Lamar’s large success with the awards prior to now makes the inclusion seemingly. The rapper has received 17 Grammys up to now.