Arguably the most quotable song released this year, reborn in memes, Twitter screenshots, and even weather forecasts, the parasitic takeover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” has transformed the diss from being a petty, post-beef appraisal of Drake’s questionable lifestyle to being a moment for the culture as a collective, dancing on top of the OVO avatar. Two months since the monumental weeklong joust for the Big Three Kingship, Compton’s very own human sacrifice has dropped the much-anticipated visuals for “Not Like Us”, which perform two roles: functioning as the coup de grace and as a sumptuous clapback against all the allegations his Canadian foe leveled against him and his family.
As with a number of his music videos, Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” begins with the snippet of a never-heard-before verse, beginning with the words: “I am. Reincarnated.” The groovy opening sees the seventeen-time Grammy winner dance and rap on a blind narrow passage, the flashing strobe lights texturing Kenny’s aura with touches of Boogeyman vibes.
The short film then cuts to Lamar knocking on a sterile-looking metallic door with what sounds like a secret pattern, which elicits a response from American godfather of krump, Tommy the Clown, who requests the password which is the song’s first line: “I see dead people”. After admitting the rapper into the claustrophobic room, Kendrick takes his place among a seated cohort of dancers, who spring into action shortly after being mobilized by Mustard’s infectious production when the beat drops. This particular scene of “Not Like Us” depicts the microcosm of West Coast and Black culture as shaped by street life, closely guarded codes, and undisputed unitedness by braiding together elements of clown-walking, as invented by Tommy, Crip walking, and the mystique of having access to cliques Drake had no visa for, that is, the Black culture.
“Not Like Us” Snippet | SUPPLIED
More than just about being about “Not Like Us”, the music video draws eyes to other Drake-oriented disses, with the music video’s persona adopting the humourous tone of “euphoria”, the matter-of-factness of “Meet the Grahams”, and the riddle mastery of the lesser-appreciated “6:16 In LA”. However, K. Dot doesn’t do this without indulging himself to his fair share of taunts, peppering the visuals with Drake and OVO-inspired imagery throughout the music video.
From dancing through a game of hopscotch as the line “A Minorrrrrrrrrr” drags to the cameo of a balaclava-clad man similar to the mixtape cover art of Drake’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes (2020), the “Not Like Us” visual adaptation remains true to the source material of being a Drake troll. The creative stroke of genius of attaching inflammatory easter eggs to the teargas of suffocating lyricism stacks the burning quality of the song, ensuring that anyone who watches the music video will be, at the very least, left with indelible and unfavourable impressions of Drake by the end of it. After all, the only thing more memorable than “Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop,” is a scene of Kendrick Lamar taking a stick to an owl pinata, clubbing the placeholder of the OVO mascot while the sarcastic disclaimer read: “No OVh*es were harmed during the making of this video”.
Kendrick Playing Hopscotch On the Music Video | SUPPLIED
Kendrick With Members of TDE | SUPPLIED
Togetherness and one love are controlling themes which pull the strings of the overall creative vision of the music video. “Not Like Us” features appearances from the song’s record producer DJ Mustard, members of hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy, as well as key players of his former label Top Dawg Entertainment, including Top himself. The inclusion of the community coming together to chorus certain parts of the song conjures up the sentiment Lamar shared on “euphoria”: “It’s not just me, I’m what the culture feelin'”. By rounding up the community and his most trusted squadron, Lamar consolidates his position as a definitive figurehead for the culture and a reliable mouthpiece for the people, a bold statement that says one thing: They all hated Drake with an undying passion.
The mother of all trolls, however, arrives towards the cusp of the music video’s end, which features a monochromatic scene of Kendrick Lamar, his fiancée, Whitney, and their children, posing for a family picture. This subtle comeback leans on the lyrics: “The family matter and the truth of the matter / It was God’s plan to show y’all the liar,” which play at the exact same time Lamar’s family frollicks around to the sound of utter disrespect against Drake. If Drizzy’s plan was to sow tares within the Duckworth camp with the Dave Free-Whitney infidelity allegation, the family dancing on top of the 6 god’s grave is a clear statement that “Family Matters” only strengthened their bond, negating the intended effect.
Kendrick, Whitney, and the Kids Dancing | SUPPLIED
If “Not Like Us” was killer blow in the beef, then the music video is Kendrick Lamar kicking down Aubrey’s tombstone and recruiting the whole community to throw more dirt on an already-defeated man. The kindness of history belongs to those who write it, and history will judge Kendrick as this fight’s champion not only because he said he is the victor, but because of the mind-bending influence he has on the culture which he has on marionette strings.
And also, as if spitting on Drake’s efforts wasn’t enough, the music video just had to be co-directed by Dave Free.
Watch “Not Like Us”:
