Rapper Kendrick Lamar released the music video to the mega-hit “Not Like Us” on Thursday, which has garnered over 23 million views in less than 48 hours.
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The song has become his most popular on Spotify, and is among several new “diss tracks” targeting rival rap artist Drake. The song has been streamed on Spotify over 445 million times since it was released on May 4. The song’s success led to a No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and is now a contender for the Song of Summer.
Throughout the video Lamar responds to insults by Drake. In the first section, Lamar is doing push-ups, referencing Drake’s “Push Ups,” released on April 19. Later in the video, Lamar is seen swinging at an owl piñata, likely symbolizing Drake’s clothing company’s logo. Lamar responded to Drake’s claims that he was estranged from his fiancé and children by including them in a dancing scene in the video.
The video was produced by Sam Canter, Jack Begert, and Jamie Rabineau, with Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free partnering as executive producers. Dave Free has worked alongside Lamar for over a decade, and has won a Grammy and three MTV Video Music Awards.
The feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake had been subtle for years, with two quietly exchanging quips against each other in their music. The rivalry became more intense in March, with Lamar’s release of “Like That.” In the following months, the two went back and forth releasing “diss tracks” against one another. The insults vary from artistic criticisms to deeply personal accusations (including pedophilia), captivating the attention of pop culture observers.
While some are disheartened to see a prominent display of negativity, others enjoy how their competition fuels artistic excellence. Some compare the feud to the 1990’s west coast vs. east coast rap rivalry. Rapper Tupac Shakur represented the west coast in the rap battle, and has been referenced by both Lamar and Drake in the recent feud.
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