The ongoing rap battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has reignited a classic hip-hop tradition—lyrical warfare at the highest level. What started as subliminal shots over the past decade escalated into full-blown diss tracks in 2024, culminating in Kendrick’s “Not Like Us,” a song that has transcended rap beef to become a cultural moment.
Their rivalry has always been a matter of contrast—Drake, the commercial machine, effortlessly blending hip-hop and pop to dominate charts, versus Kendrick, the Pulitzer-winning lyricist whose pen and storytelling have always cut deeper than most. The feud boiled over when Kendrick, J. Cole, and Drake were looped into a debate over rap’s hierarchy. “The Big Three” was a title and sentiment that the three of them had been included in, with the pinnacle coming on “First Person Shooter,” a Cole and Drake collaboration this summer. After months of tension and shots on tracks like Future & Metro Boomin’s “Like That” and Drake’s “Push Ups,” Kendrick delivered “Not Like Us,” a scathing takedown of Drake that captured the internet’s imagination and took the world by storm.
What makes “Not Like Us” such a big deal? For one, it’s more than just a diss track—it’s an anthem. Produced by West Coast legend DJ Mustard, the beat is infectious, turning an attack on Drake into a club banger, something the pop star had built his rap battle success on. It’s rare for a diss song to have this level of mainstream appeal, and even rarer for it to unite hip-hop in a near-unanimous declaration of victory. The song’s brutal directness, accusing Drake of industry manipulation and questionable affiliations, resonated in a way that shifted public perception.
In an era where beefs often fizzle out in social media discourse, “Not Like Us” brought back the raw energy of rap battles that define legacies. Ahead of his Super Bowl halftime performance, Kendrick Lamar has already delivered one of the most impactful diss tracks in hip-hop history—one that’s not just being heard, but celebrated with five Grammy wins.
