Kendrick Lamar has broken down his definition of “not like us,” the dismissive refrain from his hit Drake diss song that has dominated most of 2024.
In his first interview since defeating Drizzy in their long-simmering feud that erupted this past summer, Kendrick spoke to friend and former TDE labelmate SZA for Harper’s Bazaar magazine, whose November issue he covers.
Although the conversation focused more on spirituality and vulnerability than rap beef, the SOS singer did ask the Compton native what “Not Like Us” means to him.
“[Laughing] 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,” Kendrick replied.
“This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering. 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.”
He added: “If I’m thinking of ‘Not Like Us,’ I’m thinking of me and whoever identifies with that.”
SZA then asked Kendrick how he makes such combative songs considering he is not an angry person.
“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,” he explained.
“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.”
The interview also found Kendrick Lamar talking about his relationship with God and passion for running.
“Ain’t no bullshit. Ain’t no cliché. But I literally talk to God,” he said. “Like, it’s to a point where I’ll be starting to think I’m going crazy. But then He has to remind me, ‘No, this is really me.’
“My early-morning practice is that I have to run. When I started running, that’s where I started to understand. There was this threshold of pain in the spirituality for me. I remember my shins was aching and I was like, I got one mile to go.
“Then I get whispers and downloads and start talking about shit that I want to know about. And next thing I’m three miles in, four miles in. I wake up and do that shit every day.”
The Pulitzer Prize-winner, who is currently filming his debut movie with the co-creators of South Park, also hinted at branching out into different creative fields.
“I feel my work in music is just the start. I don’t think it’s my end goal. I know it’s not my end goal. Music is just a vessel to get me there,” he teased.
He added: “I don’t [know what that looks like]. I’m curious, and that’s what keeps me energized […] I’m gonna let God shape it. I love the mystery of it. I have to have it. I have to. The chase of it all.”
Like that Mike Brown take or some of that other respectability politics shit that he said like a buffoon. That’s one of my issues with Kendrick is that he tries to come off deep and serious and often sounds like one of those dudes who went to prison and come back out like they got all the answers while sounding stupid.
you have issues w/ tissues
No, I have issues with black dudes saying dumb shit like we’re responsible for our problems when this country has shit on us since its inception. When you start off with a lie as your premise, I tend to tune everything else out you have to say.
Lmao. “Fumb shut like we’re responsible for our problems”. I wonder why the Je ws succeed in Germany abd many other countries? Do you blame other people for your shortcomings in life? Like for real? Grow a pair. Every race of people has been enslaved and genocided. You think only blacks in America got mistreated? LOL.
I’m very successful dumb fuck. You should only wish I could have fucked your mother and raised you, but I have higher standards. That doesn’t mean this moron didn’t say some dumb shit ten years ago and then stopped giving interviews because every time he did, he sounded like a smart dummy just like this stupid shit he’s saying in this article sounded. It’s why this generation is so sad because these are the kinds of people you look up to.
Dang, I’m sorry, I didn’t think adults who were successful hung out on this site. And also didn’t think successful adults jumped to “I’d eff yo momma” insults on random sites either… I guess anyone can be a self proclaimed success though….
these rappers act like they are confucius. you called him a chomo and not black enough. stop pretending theres some deep meaning.
Stfu Gay Greg 😂
u use emoji’s. i pray you are younger than 25…
Your grammar sucks and you can’t even spell the word ‘YOU’. You’re looking like that guy who moved on to the next grade due to his age more than his intelligence. I pray you get a better education 😂
DUDE IS A LAME. NO MATTER HOW HE SPINS HIS SHIT
great greg please STFU and go back to choking on some more OvHoe dick please.
a lot of worthless f8ggot talk from disgraceful homo rap cocksuckers🤮. we r going 2 fuck u up Benderick any day now 💥🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Gay greg really uses different names on here like people are stupid 😭
@lol dude, you use multiple names and refresh the article to keep liking your own comments. You’re obsessed with any kendrick / Drake content.
Ok Gay Greg, stfu we get it, you’re “mental” for Drake 😂
@lol imagine you’re a worthless AIDSFACE cocksucker piece of shit that goes around Benderick articles sucking him off 24/7 🤔the whole time wishing you had greg cock in your worthless ass.🤮 Look at how pathetic rap is these the only folk defend cocksucker Benderick.👥 all your people scared as FUCK💥🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The f@ggit Gay Greg has spoken. You say the word cocksucker a lot, must be something you like to do on your spare time like your dad. That word defines you 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hey embarrassing, non-credible, pathetic, laughable, corny, fraudulent, garbage, retarded DuncecapD/X SHIT staff on behalf of all of us non-cornballs go OFF yourselves asap. I can guarantee with 100 percent certainty that Sam the pathetic bum ass blogger Boore, Will the mega fruity Scooby, Joe the British culture vulture Wanker, Marisa the beyond cringy Angela Yee wannabe Men dez, Shawn the slow super simp Setaro, Andy the corny fuktard Bustard and the rest of these retarded DuncecapD/X SHIT staffers won’t be missed. Just a bunch of embarrassing and sorry azz mfers. GO GET REAL J0BS INSTEAD OF THIS BULLSHIT FREELANCING GOSSIP GIG YALL GOT NOW YOU FUKING BUFF00NS.
“Not like us” is a blatant diss to YT people. Hence him laughing before he answered the question. The fact that you goofs grooved to it all spring and summer was hilarious to me 😄. He’ll never admit publicly that’s what it’s about because that would be stupid but it’s more than obvious.
Tbf he was specifically dissing a group of black men in the song. You might want to look up “blatant” in the dictionary. Maybe lyrical comprehension isn’t your thing, it’s okay.
You’re white, of course you can’t comprehend it
I have issues with my balls showing through my dress. I wish I was better at tucking them
From John Polk to great Greg all you guys are probably nasty smelly what trash with know skills to make the kind of Money Kendrick Makes go tell yr why momma to rebirth you with some skills so you won’t hate so much lol
just another worthless punk bitch sucking off Benderick white man grip. so what if disgusting homos paid a talentless cocksucker money to ruin our art? you la frauds will die mandem had enough fuck your WH0RE MOMMA💥
The F@ggit Gay Greg 🤣
just waiting for these homo rap cocksuckers to show up around here.🤮 we gone put 6 bullets in benderick and put a next bullet in the first promoter who want test this – find you and make you pay the full price. If we don’t find you first FAB WILL FUCK every last f8ggot who think we playing. We will dead you all💥🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Stfu and flip those patties on the grill, people are waiting for their food Gay Greg 😂
He’s not an angry person except when he’s beating the sh*t out of Whitney, pulling on her ponytails so much she had to shave her head.
Stfu Gay Greg, Drake needs his dick sucked. Go suck it 😂
Jesus, what a load of waffle.
The man self-identifies as moral, but does not express himself in a manner that would communicate with anyone living a truly moral Christian life. That must be fine with him.🤔
The man self-identifies as moral, but does not express himself in a manner that would communicate with anyone living a truly moral Christian life. That must be fine with him.🤔
Yo there’s a lot of talk of fay-gots, dyck-sucking, etc., on this thread. You all moes or qweeer? Dang sure seems like it! Peace
Yo there’s a lot of talk of fay-gots, dyck-sucking, etc., on this thread. You all moes or qweeer? Not to mention a lot of y’all take like legit gangbangers lol. Peace