Kendrick Lamar on Drake Feud, “Not Like Us” Diss in Interview with SZA

Back in May, Kendrick Lamar released the dissident track “Not Like Us” – and it promptly sent the internet into a frenzy. The now-viral song reignited the ongoing drama between Lamar and Drake and turned it into a huge hit. “Not Like Us” debuted at number one billboard Hot 100 broke Spotify's hip-hop streaming record and became a cultural phenomenon.

Over the past five months, fans have become accustomed to “Not Like Us” as something of a hate anthem – a bouncy follow-up to Lamar's also biting “Euphoria,” on which he claims “the way you walk.” “the way you talk” and even “the way you dress.” Rumor had it that this track was also about his Canadian opponent, but “Not Like Us” far surpassed that in popularity. With both songs, Lamar made his disdain for Drake clear, but now the Compton rapper appears to be taking a step back.

In a new interview in Harper's BazaarLamar discussed “Not Like Us” with SZA. During their conversation, he avoided mentioning Drake at all, choosing instead to discuss the song's larger meaning. “'Not Like Us' is the energy of who I am,” Lamar explained. “The type of man I represent. This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he is into something. He’s not compliant.”

Whether Lamar likes it or not, the flattering man in question is awfully clear. “Not Like Us” is full of references. At one point, he calls Drake directly and raps, “Say Drake, I heard you like 'em young / You better never go to cell block one.” He later references Drake's Certified lover boy album and calls him a “certified pedophile.” Damn, the cover of the track is a picture of Drake's house.

I don't know what's changed, but Lamar's angry boy summer is over. The rapper went on to explain what type of person he thinks “Not Like Us” represents. “He is a man who can recognize his flaws and is not afraid to share the flaws and can engage with fear-based ideologies or experiences to express them without feeling like he is less of a man,” said he. “When I think of 'Not Like Us,' I think of myself and whoever identifies with it.”

Despite the poisonous rods, Lamar holds no grudge –particularly not to someone whose name rhymes with Cake. “I don’t think I’m an angry person,” he said. “But I believe in love and war, and I believe that both must exist. And my awareness of this allows me to react to things but not identify with them for who I am. I just let them exist and let them flow through me. I believe that.”

At the very least, this change in perspective means Lamar can focus on more important things — particularly his Super Bowl performance. He will headline the halftime show for the first time in February. Earlier this year, Lamar celebrated the success in a press release. “Rap music is still the most influential genre today,” he said. “And I will be there to remind the world why. You found the right thing.”

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