In a recent conversation featured in Harper’s BAZAAR, Kendrick Lamar spoke with SZA, to dive into the remarkable achievements he has attained this year and to delve into the deeper significance of his dissertation track to Drake which was titled “Not Like Us.”
While Drake was not brought up in the discussion, Lamar provided a deep response when questioned about the significance of his track “Not Like Us.” In response, Lamar stated, “’Not Like Us?’ ‘Not Like Us’ is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent. Now, if you identify with the man that I represent …This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering.”
He continues, “He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes and not be afraid to share the mistakes and can dig deep down into fear-based ideologies or experiences to be able to express them without feeling like he’s less of a man. If I’m thinking of ‘Not Like Us,’ I’m thinking of me and whoever identifies with that.”
Though he doesn’t name the 6 God directly, it’s evident that Lamar is alluding to Drake, portraying him as someone devoid of ethics and a person who caters to societal expectations and his audience.
However, one doesn’t need Lamar’s insights to grasp the meaning behind the hit track. It’s filled with allusions to the Toronto rapper’s tendency to evade responsibility for both his own choices and those of the people in his orbit, among other themes.
Even though he responded in a relatively composed manner to what is otherwise an aggressive song, he also mentioned in the interview that “I don’t believe I’m an angry person. 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. Just allowing them to exist and allowing them to flow through me. That’s what I believe.”