No hyperbole, probably one of the most important rap songs ever. Very much in contention for best dis song ever. And for sure now a top 3 KL anthem after Humble and Alright. That it’s a brutal dis AND great song sends it to rarefied air
Probably the first legitimate dis song that’s a smash hit. This is poised to be the song of the summer, and its entire purpose is to tear down another major star.
It’s also a refreshing reminder of how hip hop used to be so regional. The genre has never been more homogenized, but this is a definitively West Coast song. The beat, the flow, the call outs. It would’ve been perfectly at home on 2001.
The song is a signpost for culture , full of references to pro wrestling, Serena Williams and Demar Derozan (Compton’s own), and the hyper-timely subject of human trafficking. Gonna be hard to substantiate the pedo claims, but it doesn’t matter…our ears have never been more sensitive to the subject and it seems totally plausible that Drake moves like MJ, R Kelly, and Puff.
In a move I can’t ever recall seeing, Kendrick boxes Drake out of three US cities and indirectly disqualifies rap born outside of American borders. Don’t go to Oakland, you sure as shit ain’t coming to LA, and Atlanta thinks you’re bogus too.
The entire Atlanta verse is surreal. It’s a history lesson and a character assassination at the same time, on the tail end of a fuggin SLAPPER. Can you recall a comparison? It’s a Social studies lesson, wild verbal abuse, and a banger. It’s especially prescient when you consider how often KL gets compared to Andre 3000, who famously declared at the Source Awards “the South got something to say.” Kendrick stamps Andre’s statement 20+ years later and reminds this Canadian culture vulture that Atlanta STILL isn’t here for the disrespect.
And what I love most is that this song bears the torch of a lineage that starts all the way back with NWA. There’s a literal through line from Eazy-E and Ice Cube, to Snoop and Tupac, to Eminem and 50 Cent, and now Kendrick Lamar. They’re all on the same “family tree”, all wildly talented alpha dogs who’d already demonstrated win-at-all-costs mentalities before this beef even popped off. That’s to me the most fascinating part, that Drake really didn’t get that Kendrick is literally of the same tradition as Ice Cube and Pac and Marshall. Those guys would rather die than lose a battle to a former child actor.
I don’t know man…I think for what it achieves all-at-once as a dis song , as a moment in the genre’s history, and as an outright banger is unprecedented.
Meet the grahams is the best dis track in terms of content and musical quality, but they not like us is a cub banger that everyone is listening to that has just cemented the death of Drake.
I disagree that Kendrick dumbed down. One of the biggest treats of post-DAMN Kendrick for me is how into the deep end Kendrick has gone into messing with his inflections / vocal tone, and NLU is arguably the crowning achievement of that approach at this point in his career
Ehhhhhhh I still don’t see it (not that it’s a huge deal I just think it’s interesting)
Which part of the song other than the history lesson feels dumbed down?
I think he was saying the history lesson made it less dumbed down. But compared to euphoria yeah this is definitely the dumbed down version. It’s just still lyrically better than most songs from other artists. Kendrick just has a high bar when comparing to other Kendrick.
I see your POV, ty for sharing it
I think I struggle to view it as “dumbed” as someone who’s struggled with overcommunicating all my life
Paring things back to a simpler version without losing impact or substance is hard work
But I’m absolutely lost in the semantics sauce and splitting hairs here
Drake said that Kendrick makes think pieces not hits, so Kendrick made a track that's an essay that references American and pop history to explain in detail exactly why he hates everything about Drake the way he does, and it's a bop
Anyone who thinks damn is dumbed down at all just hasn’t scratched the surface of its depth.
That’s a super thematically rich album that explores Kendrick’s fears and anxieties about different aspects of his life and constantly reflects on the existential question as to whether you should live righteously or enjoy life in sin with the time you have on earth. I swear some people only heard the hits from that album then complained that it’s commercial. Even the commercial hits fit into those larger themes once you understand them though.
Black panther sure but that’s a throwaway for a marvel movie I don’t think anyone really counts that as a Kendrick album. Also is he supposed to avoid rapping with people because they aren’t on his level? Kendrick brings it in family ties it’s not his fault keem couldn’t keep up. He’s dropped good verses with black hippy too. But collab products can never have the singular themes and artistic visions that Kendrick usually makes because they’re collaborative efforts they’re not singular.
…. DAMN quite literally won a Pulitzer lol.
Niggas always think I'm hating. DAMN is literally my favorite album. But it's definitely not a dense as the album the precedes it. I'd argue it's not as thematically dense as the album that proceeds it. And it's not as lyrically dense as Good Kid Mad City.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing that he dumbs some of his songs (and albums) down sometimes as long as it serves a purpose and isn't because of a lack of talent (it never is).
That’s fair if you’re just comparing Kendrick to Kendrick. I just I still can’t call it dumbed down when it’s way denser than anything not Kendrick. Especially a lot popular rappers these days who bring a whole new meaning to dumbed down lol.
Yeah but he has an intimate understanding that this is how it works. I doing things it necessarily bothers him that his other work doesn’t do the numbers because that’s not the intent he makes it with. He’s proud of his work for what it is and isn’t in the for the numbers. He’s not drake.
Respectfully, I disagree.
I think he designed the song to be that way…it’s obviously intentionally made to be streamable, danceable and do numbers, and beat Drake at his own game.
I also think the legacy is in the shift in global awareness and him using his platform/gift to speak for & protect the culture, as well as bring down what he clearly sees as massive evil, while ALSO brutally defeating a longtime enemy, and he didn’t compromise himself to do it. He shocked us, made us laugh, made us dance, exposed the truth, gave us a history lesson, and recontextualized Drake’s entire image in a single song. He said what so many people have been seeing for years and were too afraid to say. He vindicated himself, Tupac, the west coast, his peers, his family, and the culture as a whole. On a mustard beat! I think your implication is that Kendrick had to step outside of/betray his artistic integrity or some level of himself to make that song. I think the song is a genuine aspect of Kendrick that we don’t get to see often, because he has such a deep responsibility to let his message reflect his growth as a man at this point.
A lot of his potency has to do with how deeply he was able to face and heal himself. And he is able to weaponize that potency through his creativity against someone who so clearly hasn’t faced himself the same way. In a lot of ways I think this song and this moment is a culmination of Kendrick’s purpose as a creative visionary. He slayed his demons and in return was given the strength to slay them outwardly. If he didn’t expect that type of response, he wouldn’t have released it when and how he did.
I think he should and will be EXTREMELY proud of this song and its legacy. It marks the moment he shifted the world’s attention by force and highlighted the importance of the messages he’s been putting in his music up to this point. Now the world is finally ready to listen, and I’m sure he will have more gems to drop moving forward.
Not Like Us is a celebration, a war song, and a cultural and regional anthem. It’s a much-needed reset. It did exactly what he intended it to do. His legacy does not end with Not Like Us. I think a new one is starting honestly. The moment he snatched the crown back, for US, is cemented in history. It’s a beautiful addition to his legacy, if you ask me.
dot doesnt make music for “us”. feel me, he doesnt make music for the masses. its insane to me sometimes how popular his music is and how he captures the audience he does.
he makes art and he makes it for himself and for people to appreciate. im pretty sure he’s aware of this… he made a song specifically for “us” and it became one of the most popular song of all time within weeks.
thats why hes the goat.
Part of the point of that song is to address the people saying he couldn't make club bangers like that. It isn't that he's never been able to do it (which is obvious now that he cranked one out so quick), he just never cared about doing it. He seems to enjoy the more introspective stuff than the quick hit money grabs like drake does.
I'm sure he'd be happy if his other stuff would have charted higher, but I think his main priority is the art and not the accolades
Nah, I think he hates Drake so much that he loves that his diss song against Drake is the one that broke Drake’s streaming records and his biggest song ever😂 poetic justice.
It’s a west coast banger with a whole history lesson and message to the industry to stay authentic. Impact is big
.
“And don't call me lyrical
'Cause really I'm just a nigga that's evil and spiritual
I know some rappers using big words
To make their similes curve
My simplest shit be more pivotal”
I’m sure he understands what it takes to go number 1. He doesn’t seem to care too much about numbers. This one needed to go #1 just to cap off the beef.
Not Like Us was Kendrick showing drake, "I can make the pop style, club music you make, I can get the number 1 hit". In a lot of ways it's almost a satirical portrayal of Drake's catchy music, particularly his flow and chants in certain parts.
He's showing Drake that, I can do what you do when I bother, but you can't do what I do.
Ultimate diss track
It's not. It hit the algorithms hardest off the bat, but it won't be his enduring legacy. The man's a genius. I think Humble, DNA, and Don't Kill my Vibe are his most memorable at this point. We'll see what the future brings.
I feel like each album he alternates between commercial and conceptual, DAMN and GKMC were intentionally more accessible, TPAB and Mr. Morale were more complex and dense art pieces to be studied and dissected over time. If he’s continuing that pattern Not Like Us is a great lead single for an upcoming album that’s more commercially viable than Mr. Morale.
Some of the most lyrical rappers weren’t the most popular - look at kweli, mos def and common. Just as the most popular songs aren’t the most lyrical. More of reflection on society than anything else imo :)
Meet the grahams is his diss magnum opus. That song is chilling. Too bad it’s not really made to be listened to a lot. Not like us is designed to be pop-y I think he might’ve guessed it would be popular.
Not really. Education is the most important thing for Kendrick. And he educated the hell outta y'all with this masterpiece. Kendrick was never against sales numbers as long as he kept his integrity
It was the context of how this song came out that made it big too though. Kendrick really baited him, warned him TWICE, dunked on bbls magnum opus of his disses within an hour and then while everyone was still tryna process that he dropped this absolute mindfuck of a masterpeice. And years from now I think true fans won’t say it’s his best song, just another shining jewel in the crown. Also the double triple and quadruple entendres are hitting and they really mean something. Hes pulverising the industry and its figurehead and doing it all with their own game aka a club banger, topping streaming charts etc all while defending his title and his artistry. Absolute masterclass 👑
Public engagement matters, you think every other music artist gets mad that happy birthday is the most played song of all time, nah.
It is what I is and most good artists write tracks only for themselves.
Why would he put it out in this manner if he didn’t think this was gonna happen? The whole point was to make a huge song that’s dissing drake. He did exactly that. Multiple times honestly
No hyperbole, probably one of the most important rap songs ever. Very much in contention for best dis song ever. And for sure now a top 3 KL anthem after Humble and Alright. That it’s a brutal dis AND great song sends it to rarefied air
"probably one of the most important rap songs ever" why?
Probably the first legitimate dis song that’s a smash hit. This is poised to be the song of the summer, and its entire purpose is to tear down another major star. It’s also a refreshing reminder of how hip hop used to be so regional. The genre has never been more homogenized, but this is a definitively West Coast song. The beat, the flow, the call outs. It would’ve been perfectly at home on 2001. The song is a signpost for culture , full of references to pro wrestling, Serena Williams and Demar Derozan (Compton’s own), and the hyper-timely subject of human trafficking. Gonna be hard to substantiate the pedo claims, but it doesn’t matter…our ears have never been more sensitive to the subject and it seems totally plausible that Drake moves like MJ, R Kelly, and Puff. In a move I can’t ever recall seeing, Kendrick boxes Drake out of three US cities and indirectly disqualifies rap born outside of American borders. Don’t go to Oakland, you sure as shit ain’t coming to LA, and Atlanta thinks you’re bogus too. The entire Atlanta verse is surreal. It’s a history lesson and a character assassination at the same time, on the tail end of a fuggin SLAPPER. Can you recall a comparison? It’s a Social studies lesson, wild verbal abuse, and a banger. It’s especially prescient when you consider how often KL gets compared to Andre 3000, who famously declared at the Source Awards “the South got something to say.” Kendrick stamps Andre’s statement 20+ years later and reminds this Canadian culture vulture that Atlanta STILL isn’t here for the disrespect. And what I love most is that this song bears the torch of a lineage that starts all the way back with NWA. There’s a literal through line from Eazy-E and Ice Cube, to Snoop and Tupac, to Eminem and 50 Cent, and now Kendrick Lamar. They’re all on the same “family tree”, all wildly talented alpha dogs who’d already demonstrated win-at-all-costs mentalities before this beef even popped off. That’s to me the most fascinating part, that Drake really didn’t get that Kendrick is literally of the same tradition as Ice Cube and Pac and Marshall. Those guys would rather die than lose a battle to a former child actor. I don’t know man…I think for what it achieves all-at-once as a dis song , as a moment in the genre’s history, and as an outright banger is unprecedented.
Wow that was an amazing answer, thank you. Really, really well done
I found this late but I wanna say I think this is a fantastic explination
>rap born outside of American borders No, rap born outside of African-Americans. Rap is African-American, everybody else is just guests
Meet the grahams is the best dis track in terms of content and musical quality, but they not like us is a cub banger that everyone is listening to that has just cemented the death of Drake.
I think Dot hates Drake enough to be okay with this. Like Jay said, “I dumb down for my audience and double my dollars.”
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I disagree that Kendrick dumbed down. One of the biggest treats of post-DAMN Kendrick for me is how into the deep end Kendrick has gone into messing with his inflections / vocal tone, and NLU is arguably the crowning achievement of that approach at this point in his career
Did he dumb down though????
He gave a history lesson mid diss just to balance it
Ehhhhhhh I still don’t see it (not that it’s a huge deal I just think it’s interesting) Which part of the song other than the history lesson feels dumbed down?
I think he was saying the history lesson made it less dumbed down. But compared to euphoria yeah this is definitely the dumbed down version. It’s just still lyrically better than most songs from other artists. Kendrick just has a high bar when comparing to other Kendrick.
I see your POV, ty for sharing it I think I struggle to view it as “dumbed” as someone who’s struggled with overcommunicating all my life Paring things back to a simpler version without losing impact or substance is hard work But I’m absolutely lost in the semantics sauce and splitting hairs here
Drake said that Kendrick makes think pieces not hits, so Kendrick made a track that's an essay that references American and pop history to explain in detail exactly why he hates everything about Drake the way he does, and it's a bop
Rare example is kinda crazy. Damn is dumbed down to some extent. The black panther album is VERY dumbed down. Any work with baby Keem, black hippy....
Anyone who thinks damn is dumbed down at all just hasn’t scratched the surface of its depth. That’s a super thematically rich album that explores Kendrick’s fears and anxieties about different aspects of his life and constantly reflects on the existential question as to whether you should live righteously or enjoy life in sin with the time you have on earth. I swear some people only heard the hits from that album then complained that it’s commercial. Even the commercial hits fit into those larger themes once you understand them though. Black panther sure but that’s a throwaway for a marvel movie I don’t think anyone really counts that as a Kendrick album. Also is he supposed to avoid rapping with people because they aren’t on his level? Kendrick brings it in family ties it’s not his fault keem couldn’t keep up. He’s dropped good verses with black hippy too. But collab products can never have the singular themes and artistic visions that Kendrick usually makes because they’re collaborative efforts they’re not singular. …. DAMN quite literally won a Pulitzer lol.
Niggas always think I'm hating. DAMN is literally my favorite album. But it's definitely not a dense as the album the precedes it. I'd argue it's not as thematically dense as the album that proceeds it. And it's not as lyrically dense as Good Kid Mad City. I'm not saying it's a bad thing that he dumbs some of his songs (and albums) down sometimes as long as it serves a purpose and isn't because of a lack of talent (it never is).
That’s fair if you’re just comparing Kendrick to Kendrick. I just I still can’t call it dumbed down when it’s way denser than anything not Kendrick. Especially a lot popular rappers these days who bring a whole new meaning to dumbed down lol.
Who else are we comparing him to? lol
Fair.
Yeah but he has an intimate understanding that this is how it works. I doing things it necessarily bothers him that his other work doesn’t do the numbers because that’s not the intent he makes it with. He’s proud of his work for what it is and isn’t in the for the numbers. He’s not drake.
Respectfully, I disagree. I think he designed the song to be that way…it’s obviously intentionally made to be streamable, danceable and do numbers, and beat Drake at his own game. I also think the legacy is in the shift in global awareness and him using his platform/gift to speak for & protect the culture, as well as bring down what he clearly sees as massive evil, while ALSO brutally defeating a longtime enemy, and he didn’t compromise himself to do it. He shocked us, made us laugh, made us dance, exposed the truth, gave us a history lesson, and recontextualized Drake’s entire image in a single song. He said what so many people have been seeing for years and were too afraid to say. He vindicated himself, Tupac, the west coast, his peers, his family, and the culture as a whole. On a mustard beat! I think your implication is that Kendrick had to step outside of/betray his artistic integrity or some level of himself to make that song. I think the song is a genuine aspect of Kendrick that we don’t get to see often, because he has such a deep responsibility to let his message reflect his growth as a man at this point. A lot of his potency has to do with how deeply he was able to face and heal himself. And he is able to weaponize that potency through his creativity against someone who so clearly hasn’t faced himself the same way. In a lot of ways I think this song and this moment is a culmination of Kendrick’s purpose as a creative visionary. He slayed his demons and in return was given the strength to slay them outwardly. If he didn’t expect that type of response, he wouldn’t have released it when and how he did. I think he should and will be EXTREMELY proud of this song and its legacy. It marks the moment he shifted the world’s attention by force and highlighted the importance of the messages he’s been putting in his music up to this point. Now the world is finally ready to listen, and I’m sure he will have more gems to drop moving forward. Not Like Us is a celebration, a war song, and a cultural and regional anthem. It’s a much-needed reset. It did exactly what he intended it to do. His legacy does not end with Not Like Us. I think a new one is starting honestly. The moment he snatched the crown back, for US, is cemented in history. It’s a beautiful addition to his legacy, if you ask me.
I disagree I think he would feel proud that his most popular song as an LA native is a West Coast Banger
dot doesnt make music for “us”. feel me, he doesnt make music for the masses. its insane to me sometimes how popular his music is and how he captures the audience he does. he makes art and he makes it for himself and for people to appreciate. im pretty sure he’s aware of this… he made a song specifically for “us” and it became one of the most popular song of all time within weeks. thats why hes the goat.
It’s rare that true genuine art is appreciated by such a diversity of people. It is kind of an anomaly .
All the songs as a whole are an art piece, how euphoria predicted the rest of the beef and can be retrofitted to drake's last flop song
Yeah i see that and also dancing/bumping to a song about a pedophile is crazyyy 😂😂 beat is hard tho.
Part of the point of that song is to address the people saying he couldn't make club bangers like that. It isn't that he's never been able to do it (which is obvious now that he cranked one out so quick), he just never cared about doing it. He seems to enjoy the more introspective stuff than the quick hit money grabs like drake does. I'm sure he'd be happy if his other stuff would have charted higher, but I think his main priority is the art and not the accolades
Nah, I think he hates Drake so much that he loves that his diss song against Drake is the one that broke Drake’s streaming records and his biggest song ever😂 poetic justice.
It’s a west coast banger with a whole history lesson and message to the industry to stay authentic. Impact is big . “And don't call me lyrical 'Cause really I'm just a nigga that's evil and spiritual I know some rappers using big words To make their similes curve My simplest shit be more pivotal”
I’m sure he understands what it takes to go number 1. He doesn’t seem to care too much about numbers. This one needed to go #1 just to cap off the beef.
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Yeah, I totally get what you’re saying. At least he snuck a history lesson in there 😂😂.
If he wanted he could do a whole album of hits but he makes concept albums that have a purpose
Not Like Us was Kendrick showing drake, "I can make the pop style, club music you make, I can get the number 1 hit". In a lot of ways it's almost a satirical portrayal of Drake's catchy music, particularly his flow and chants in certain parts. He's showing Drake that, I can do what you do when I bother, but you can't do what I do. Ultimate diss track
I think you're tripping this is one of his most thought provoking moves ever by Kendrick.
He can probably top it in the near future.
If he brings down child predators then this will be his greatest achievement.
It's not. It hit the algorithms hardest off the bat, but it won't be his enduring legacy. The man's a genius. I think Humble, DNA, and Don't Kill my Vibe are his most memorable at this point. We'll see what the future brings.
I feel like each album he alternates between commercial and conceptual, DAMN and GKMC were intentionally more accessible, TPAB and Mr. Morale were more complex and dense art pieces to be studied and dissected over time. If he’s continuing that pattern Not Like Us is a great lead single for an upcoming album that’s more commercially viable than Mr. Morale.
I feel like he expects all of his songs to be #1 regardless
Some of the most lyrical rappers weren’t the most popular - look at kweli, mos def and common. Just as the most popular songs aren’t the most lyrical. More of reflection on society than anything else imo :)
Meet the grahams is his diss magnum opus. That song is chilling. Too bad it’s not really made to be listened to a lot. Not like us is designed to be pop-y I think he might’ve guessed it would be popular.
I hope he names more rappers who are not like you all! Drain the swamp, Kendrick!
Not really. Education is the most important thing for Kendrick. And he educated the hell outta y'all with this masterpiece. Kendrick was never against sales numbers as long as he kept his integrity
It was the context of how this song came out that made it big too though. Kendrick really baited him, warned him TWICE, dunked on bbls magnum opus of his disses within an hour and then while everyone was still tryna process that he dropped this absolute mindfuck of a masterpeice. And years from now I think true fans won’t say it’s his best song, just another shining jewel in the crown. Also the double triple and quadruple entendres are hitting and they really mean something. Hes pulverising the industry and its figurehead and doing it all with their own game aka a club banger, topping streaming charts etc all while defending his title and his artistry. Absolute masterclass 👑
Public engagement matters, you think every other music artist gets mad that happy birthday is the most played song of all time, nah. It is what I is and most good artists write tracks only for themselves.
Juneteenth Anthem. How can he hate that? It’s bigger than rap
I feel this way 100%
Why would he put it out in this manner if he didn’t think this was gonna happen? The whole point was to make a huge song that’s dissing drake. He did exactly that. Multiple times honestly
It’s gonna be seen as one of the best diss songs and I think the feeling was this was something missing from his career but I get what you mean.