The Cultural Impact of Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" [VIDEO]
Unity In The Beats: The Cultural Impact of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”
Source: Michael Blackshire / Getty
The dominating imprint of Kendrick Lamar‘s diss track, “Not Like Us,” stimulated a cultural pulsation around the world. Lamar dropped the video on July 4th, which marked an epic victory celebration for himself and the culture.
Drake and Lamar’s rap feud spans over a decade since August 2013. “Not like Us” was Lamar’s 5th installment in his diss track series.
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Mustard, who is the primary producer of this dis track, wanted to work with Lamar for years – so much so, he sent him at least five tracks a day for three months. Mustard created the “Not Like Us” beat within 30 minutes, not knowing whether Lamar would choose that track or not, which shows the opulence in Mustard’s perseverance.
Check out these record-breaking numbers.
- Received over 15 million views in less than 24 hours.
- Ranked #1 in Drake’s home country of Canada in the Top 100 chart.
- Broke Spotify’s record for the most streamed rap song in a single day.
Lamar’s “Not Like Us” is predicted to be the “song of the summer,” as noted by Frazier Tharpe at GQ magazine. “Not Like Us” has the essence of a cultural anthem of collective enjoyment amongst the culture and the creative intellect that runs deep within our DNA. Lamar ended the video referencing Maya Angelou’s book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” depicting the owl that symbolizes Drake’s independent record label OVO.
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We can collectively agree that the creative strategy from the lyrics to the video visuals are masterfully done. Lamar’s “Not Like Us” is a reminder of the immense possibilities of what can be achieved collectively as we stand together in our authenticity. Lamar’s music often elicits change and affirms the value of our cultures and experiences by highlighting the shared struggles and triumphs, relating to us by speaking to our own experiences, drawing us into feelings seen, felt and understood.
“Not Like Us” opens a larger discussion in the world of hip-hop about speaking to Black Culture as an artist for personal gain, with lack of connection, tangible experiences, struggles, and triumphs. Lamar implies in “Not Like Us” that Drake’s collaborations are strategically calculated, instead of being in touch with the understanding of the Black experience.
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Lamar offers us educational insight into how artists move within music. Asking us to pay attention to the messages within hip-hop music.
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