Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Reaches Two-Year Mark as Impact Continues to Shape Hip-Hop

Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us" hit its second anniversary this week. The effects on hip-hop continue sparking debate across social media. The track dropped in May 2024 during the height of the feud between the Compton rapper and Drake.

It held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks. The track became the first rap song to win Song of the Year at the GRAMMYs and broke numerous records since its debut.

"Not Like Us" marked a turning point in how rap feuds play out in the modern era. Metro Boomin helped kick off the conflict with the album We Don't Trust You. He spoke at the Forbes Under 30 Summit about how the internet changed the nature of hip-hop battles. "Back in the day, Jay-Z and Nas went at it, but I was a fan of both of 'em," he said. "Most people were." He added that "the internet just makes it a little too wild now."

The Los Angeles native performed the track at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime show. He became the first solo rapper to grace that stage. He also performed in Toronto to two sold-out crowds.

J. Cole told Cam'ron that the beef had turned rap fandom into politics, according to Vibe. "You either Kendrick, or you Drake, and you got to pick a side," he said. A$AP Rocky told DJ Akademiks that his issue with the Toronto artist stemmed from shots taken at Rihanna, the mother of his children.

In a Harper's Bazaar interview with SZA, the Pulitzer Prize winner described what the track meant to him. "'Not Like Us' is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent," he said, describing that man as someone with "morals," "values," and the willingness to recognize his mistakes.

Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the song. He argued that the label knowingly published and promoted the track despite knowing its accusations were false and defamatory. He is trying to revive the case after it was dismissed.

His first solo album since the conflict, Iceman, will be released later this month. Rapper Your Old Droog compared "Not Like Us" to "Ether," saying it was "the most systematic dismantling of an opponent since 'Ether.'"