Kendrick Lamar's long-awaited video for "Not Like Us" features multiple references to some of the smaller moments from his beef with Drake, which makes for an especially rewarding watch for anyone who followed every step of the saga.
The "Not Like Us" video, directed by Kendrick and his frequent collaborator Dave Free, opens with a shot of the Los Angeles County Superior Court in the rapper's hometown, Compton. Considering the allegations that Kendrick throws at Drizzy's way in "Not Like Us," it's an appropriate way to kick off the celebratory music video.
But one of the first major direct references to the beef appears to be a callback to Drake's music video for his K Dot diss, "Family Matters." Featuring a similarly stark, black-and-white aesthetic, the shot at the 1:08 point of the video shows a man resembling Drake's look from the cover of Dark Lane Demo Tapes approaching the rapper from behind. As soon as he gets close to Kendrick, who is standing perfectly still next to a man dancing in a hat that proudly reads "Compton," he's pulled away.
Basically, Kendrick thinks he's untouchable, at least when it comes to Drake's attempts to diss him.
Next comes another direct reference to one of Drake's diss tracks: "Push Ups." The song was the Canadian rapper's first track to come for Kendrick Lamar head-on after the release of "Like That," the instigating song that officially boiled the tension between the two over.
K Dot does push-ups in a prison yard-style workout, both a nod to the title of "Push Ups" and the chorus of the track: "Better drop and give me fifty / Drop and give me fifty, drop and give me fifty." As highlighted by some eagle-eyed fans, there's also what appears to be a painting or a picture turned around to face the wall, which could be a reference to another line from "Push Ups:" "I know my picture on the wall when y'all cook up."
Not so much an easter egg, but the video also features a moment when Kendrick Lamar hits an owl piñata, a clear mockery of the owl imagery associated with Drake's OVO Sound imprint. There's even an added disclaimer: "No OVHOES were harmed during the making of this video."
The video is filled with cameos from various West Coast figures, including most of Black Hippy and producer Mustard, but one of the most cutting is the appearance of TDE CEO Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Throughout Drake's disses, particularly "Push Ups" and "Family Matters," he accused TDE of exploiting Kendrick Lamar prior to his exit from the label. However, the rapper hugs the TDE CEO in the clip, making it clear there's no bad blood between them.
Another major cameo is co-director Dave Free, who Drake suggested was the biological father of one of Kendrick's children on "Family Matters." The pair are seen in front of several shipping containers, which could also suggest that Kendrick is accusing Drake of human trafficking, something OVO's Baka Not Nice was arrested for in 2014.
Then there's the appearance of Kendrick's fiancée Whitney Alford and their two children. Drake accused the Compton rapper of assaulting his fiancée on the two diss songs "Family Matters" and "The Heart Part 6." K Dot hasn't addressed the allegations directly, but the appearance of Alford is as good as any denial could be.
The music video once again revisits the owl imagery in its closing moments, which show Kendrick Lamar putting an owl in a cage.
Drake has yet to respond to the music video, but there's plenty to unpack.
This story will be updated.
