Kendrick Lamar Reflects on the Meaning Behind “Not Like Us” and His Feud with Drake
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Kendrick Lamar’s track Not Like Us will be remembered as the final blow in his long-standing feud with Drake, but for the Grammy-winning rapper, the song goes deeper than just a diss track. In a recent interview with fellow artist SZA for Harper’s Bazaar, Lamar opened up about the meaning behind the song, explaining that despite its intense tone, it wasn’t driven by anger.
“I don’t believe I’m an angry person,” said Kendrick, 37. “But I do believe in love and war, and I believe they both need to exist. And my awareness of that allows me to react to things but not identify with them as who I am.”
Kendrick’s reflection reveals that while the fiery nature of his music might suggest anger, for him, it’s more about channeling raw emotion and expressing deeper truths. When SZA asked about the significance of Not Like Us, Kendrick explained it as a representation of his values and character.
“It’s the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent,” he said. “This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something.”
Lamar emphasized that the song is not just about his rivalry with Drake, but about owning his mistakes and being unafraid to confront difficult emotions. “He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes and not be afraid to share them. He can dig deep into fear-based ideologies or experiences and express them without feeling like he’s less of a man.”
Released earlier this year, Not Like Us topped the charts, adding another No. 1 single to Kendrick’s list of accomplishments. The song also marked the end of his decade-long feud with Drake, a rivalry that had escalated over the years and culminated in a highly publicized rap battle between March and April of 2024.
While the track closed a chapter in their ongoing conflict, Kendrick’s recent comments shed light on his deeper motivations—revealing that, for him, Not Like Us was less about the feud and more about standing firm in his principles and confronting his own fears.
