Kendrick Lamar’s Victory Lap: ‘Not Like Us’ Video Takes a Cheeky Swipe at Drake

Kendrick Lamar dropped the music video for “Not Like Us,” and the Internet can’t stop talking about it—not just because of the infectious beats. From his ever-continuing beef with Drake, this video is full of clever nods placed into stunning visuals. Let’s break down the most striking moments!

Kendrick started his video with the national nigga knock sequence where a clown asks for the password. Kendrick begins with, “I see Dead People.” It brings back the memory of a picture pointing out Kendrick doing push-ups where Drake had referred to it. Kendrick proceeds—literally—to lie on the cinder blocks and then start doing push-ups as if seemingly reacting to what Drake had said some time ago. This sets the natural tone for the video, insinuating the seething feud between two rap giants.

A playful moment in the video shows Kendrick hitting an owl piñata, a clear symbol of Drake’s OVO owl logo. As the piñata breaks, a humorous disclaimer pops up at the bottom of the screen:

“No OVHoes were harmed during the making of this video.”

This cheeky statement is a direct jab at Drake’s crew, known for their owl insignia, adding a layer of humor to the ongoing battle.

In a touching and personal scene, Kendrick’s fiancée, Whitney Alford, and their two children are shown dancing in a cozy living room. This moment holds significant weight, especially given Drake’s previous claim in his diss track “Family Matters” that Dave Free, who co-directed the video, fathered one of Kendrick’s children with Alford. By showcasing his family, Kendrick is making a powerful statement about his personal life and victories, countering Drake’s accusations with visual proof of his family’s unity and joy.

The video then ends with a celebratory dance with Kendrick, Whitney, the children, and the crew. Now, this is hugely significant as a representation that Kendrick has won this fracas. Noteworthy is the closing shot: an owl, symbolizing Drake’s logo for OVO Sound, is shown trapped in a cage. This suggests Drake is caged in or has been locked out, therefore still paying dividends to the victory of Kendrick that we see him asserting.

Crafted visually as pure visual storytelling, the “Not Like Us” video was written and directed by Dave Free with Kendrick Lamar. The symbology in it is not just personal but also cultural to create a tag that narrates very actively. Historically, the feud between Kendrick and Drake has been marked by subtle, and not-so-subtle, jabs and this video is no exception. Each scene is carefully crafted to communicate Kendrick’s responses and assertions, making it a compelling watch for fans and critics alike.

Kendrick’s video not only finds its interest in entertainment but also in a declaration of his resilience and creativity. On it, he has built a narrative deep and strange, arresting with the attention and imagination it solicits, by merging humor, personal elements, and symbolic imagery into an unprecedented whole.