Kendrick Lamar Explains ‘Not Like Us’ Means to Him in His Own Words
Kendrick Lamar says he is far from being angry.
In his first major interview since his epic showdown with Drake, the Grammy Award winner graced the cover of Harper’s Bazaar's 2024 November Voices Issue in an interview conducted by an old friend and collaborator from Top Dawg Entertainment, SZA.
During their conversation, the West Coast legend shared what “Not Like Us” meant to him, noting that the pivotal track is about so much more than just his rivalry against Drake.
He explained, “[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 — this man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering.”
K Dot continued, “He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes and not be afraid to share them. He can dive deep into fear-based experiences and 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.”
When asked how he manages to create such confrontational music, given that he doesn’t identify as an angry person, K Dot explained, “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.”
The “Euphoria” emcee is currently filming his debut movie with the co-creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, set to hit theaters July 2025.
