South Korean Air Force Soldier Accused Of Blatant Cultural Appropriation Following "Not Like Us" Performance

BY Alexander Cole
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NFL: Super Bowl LIX-Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Recording artist Kendrick Lamar performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" and "tv off" were covered in South Korea recently, and this has not gone over well state side.

Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" remains one of the biggest diss tracks of all time. Overall, this was the song that poured salt in Drake's wound following the release of the haunting "Meet The Grahams." It spent multiple weeks at number one, and gave Lamar the win in the beef.

Its cultural influence over the world cannot be understated. In fact, people from other countries are covering the song and are going to great lengths to do so. Unfortunately, sometimes these lengths look a lot like cultural appropriation.

Case in point, a South Korean Air Force soldier by the name of Corporal Eom Jun performed "Not Like Us" and "tv off" during KFN (Korean Forces Network)’s Troop Support Train.

As you can see below, some of the flourishes from Kendrick's Super Bowl performance were present. Furthermore, the soldiers' outfit was very much a case of appropriation.

Kendrick Lamar Covered In South Korea

While some on social media were impressed with what they were seeing, others felt as though they were being played with. "They hate us but love everything our culture offers," one person wrote. Others simply felt as though this is an example of "Not Like Us" becoming corny. One X user even posted the infamous photo of white people wearing "Not Like Us" shirts at the Pop Out.

Whatever you may think of the performance, there is no denying that it's simply another example of just how global this song is. Diss tracks have become Billboard hits in the past, but "Not Like Us" is on a completely different level. So much so that it can be easy to forget that at its core, it is one of the most brutal diss tracks in hip-hop history.

Let us know what you thought of the performance, in the comments below.

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!

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