The victor in hip-hop’s biggest feud left home with a Grammy—for the very diss track that dismantled his opponent completely. Kendrick Lamar’s sweeping victory at the Grammys on Sunday night for “Not Like Us” was a sight to behold—three Grammys in the hip-hop categories it was nominated in, along with Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Regardless of where Drake is on planet Earth right now, that’s got to sting. However, we can’t say we’re surprised; one would assume that Drake’s beef with the Grammys likely left many members of the committee automatically rooting for Kendrick from the onset of their feud.
It was a historic evening for the Grammys. Black artists won in the three major categories for their groundbreaking works. “Not Like Us,” for example, became one of two hip-hop songs to win Record of the Year and the first diss track ever to receive such accolades. Meanwhile, Beyoncé took home the long-deserved Grammy for Album of the Year off the strength of her foray into country with Cowboy Carter. However, it was Kendrick Lamar’s back-to-back wins for Record of the Year and Song of the Year that simultaneously felt triumphant and predictable. Below, we’ve highlighted five major takeaways from Kendrick’s Grammy speeches.
Canadian Tuxedo
“What the f**ck you wearin'? Bro, it's tacky/ N***as layin' on they deathbed, tryna match me,” could not have felt more appropriate after last night’s award show. The now 22-time Grammy Award-winning rapper pulled up looking happy, healthy, and denim’d out. Wearing a Canadian tuxedo to accept his awards during the main ceremony didn’t seem like a coincidence, especially when you consider how meticulous Kendrick Lamar is during a time of war. It felt like a subtle way to continue trolling Drake ahead of the Super Bowl.
Crowd Singing A-Minor
Drake has definitely p**sed off a lot of people, because there's no other reason why a room full of his peers would gleefully sing along to a song calling him a “certified pedophile." Sunday night proved that the supposed KBots were alive and well among the Grammy audience. The fact that whoever was running the soundboard decided to increase the microphone volume on the crowd so we could hear them sing "A Minooooor" in unison doesn’t feel like an accident. If the majority of the 13,000-voter pool affirmed the song’s popularity with the coveted award, then it might be time to accept the fact that the widespread cultural impact of “Not Like Us” in 2024 couldn’t have been replicated by streaming bots.
Whitney’s Award-Winning Crip Walk
It would’ve been hilarious if Kendrick had given Drake a shout-out during one of his two acceptance speeches at the Grammys. But what probably hurts more is knowing that the self-described “red button” that Drake sat on continues to age poorly. When Kendrick accepted the award for Song of the Year, his first acknowledgment was his partner, Whitney Alford, whom Drake accused of sleeping with Dave Free. “Whitney in the video Crip-walking, we gon’ dedicate that one—[Jay-Z] liked them walks,” he said as he accepted the award. Sure, Kendrick won the Grammy as Drake predicted. However, was Drake’s decision to mention Whitney the absolute worst decision of his career? Absolutely.
Jay-Z & Dr. Dre Shout Outs
Business is business, but fair is fair. Kendrick’s acceptance speeches felt like they contradicted the song's supposed moral stance if its purpose wasn’t solely to destroy Drake’s career. Jay-Z and Dr. Dre have undoubtedly been in Kendrick’s corner throughout his mainstream career, yet both have faced allegations as abhorrent as those Kendrick levied against Drake. Jay-Z, for example, made headlines in late 2024 after he was sued alongside Diddy in a lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl—a claim he and his legal team have vehemently denied and vowed to fight in court.
Meanwhile, Dr. Dre’s history with women has been well-documented, from Dee Barnes to Michel’le. Dre has admitted to allegations of domestic violence and violence against women, even publicly apologizing for those incidents. So, if the overall point of “Not Like Us” was protecting women and children from alleged predators, then maybe he should’ve waited until he was off-stage before showing love to Dre and Jay-Z, atleast for the sake of the optics.
Taylor Swift Chose A Side
“Taylor Swift the only n*** that I ever rated / Only one could make me drop the album just a little later,” Drake rapped on “Red Button.” Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t seem like the respect is mutual. When Kendrick took to the stage to accept his award, Taylor was rooting for him in the crowd. One photo that surfaced shows Swift raising a glass to Kendrick. Another video clip aired during the ceremony shows Swift yelling, “Sweep!” after he won Song of the Year. Then, there was footage of Taylor dancing along to “Not Like Us” when he accepted the award for Record of the Year. Even though Taylor never addressed Drake’s shout-out on “Taylor Made Freestyle,” the Eras singer made it abundantly clear which side she chose.
