A Town Like Diss

"Not Like Us" is a diss track by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar released amidst his highly publicized feud with the Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on May 4, 2024, through Interscope Records, less than 20 hours after Lamar's previous diss track "Meet the Grahams". A music video, directed by Dave Free and Lamar, was released on American Independence Day (July 4). Primarily produced by Mustard, with additional work from Sounwave and Sean Momberger, "Not Like Us" is a hyphy-influenced West Coast hip-hop song with a prominent bassline, lively strings, and finger snaps. Lyrically, it continues the themes introduced in "Meet the Grahams". Lamar doubles down on allegations of Drake's sexual interest in minors and sexual misconduct. He also criticizes his cultural identity and relationships with artists based in Atlanta, Georgia, accusing him of exploiting them for street credibility and financial gain. "Not Like Us" received acclaim from critics, who praised the production, songwriting, and Lamar's performance; they felt it solidified Lamar's victory. It is widely regarded as the feud's best track. "Not Like Us" broke numerous records on the streaming platform Spotify and peaked at number one in ten countries, while charting in the top ten in over 20 additional countries. Drake responded to "Not Like Us" with "The Heart Part 6", in which he denied Lamar's accusations, on May 5. In January 2025, Drake filed a lawsuit against Interscope's parent Universal Music Group (UMG), alleging that "Not Like Us" defamed him and that UMG and Spotify artificially inflated its popularity; the lawsuit was dismissed in October 2025. "Not Like Us" won all five of its Grammy nominations at the 67th ceremony: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. It is tied with the 5th Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" as the most-awarded song in Grammy history. Lamar first performed "Not Like Us" live on Juneteenth 2024 during The Pop Out: Ken & Friends, where he played it five consecutive times. He performed it when he headlined the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February 2025 and throughout his Grand National Tour from April to October 2025.