Kendrick Lamar Recalls Surprising First Thought After Winning Five Grammys For “Not Like Us”

BY Caroline Fisher 2.6K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Entertainment: 2025 Grammy Awards - Arrivals and Press Room
Feb 2, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Kendrick Lamar, Winner of Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video, and Song of the Year for ‘Not Like Us’ at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. Dan MacMedan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Kendrick Lamar recently reflected on his impressive Grammy sweep.

Last weekend, Kendrick Lamar cleaned up at the Grammys. He secured five different awards for his explosive diss track "Not Like Us." At one point in the evening, he even had the entire crowd chanting lyrics about Drake being an alleged pedophile. These are the same lyrics the Toronto rapper is suing Universal Music Group over. Most agree that the impressive series of wins was well deserved, and during a recent conversation with Ebro Darden and Nadeska Alexis for Apple Music's Super Bowl press conference, Kendrick shared his thoughts.

According to him, the first thing that went through his head when he got home wasn't defeating Drake, or even his own personal success. Instead, he said he thought about the culture as a whole. "I just think about the culture really... it's always that for me first I'm not even bullsh*ting with you... when people talk about rap man, the conversations I hear they think its just rap and not an actual art form... so when you put records like that in the forefront it reminds people," he explained.

Will Kendrick Lamar Perform "Not Like Us" At The Super Bowl?

This was far from all Kendrick discussed during the press conference, however. He also opened up about what inspired his latest album, GNX. "I thought about 'Damn, what I used to like as a kid?' Hard raps, good beats, that's smackin', right?" he recalled. "It was necessary to come out of that cocoon like, 'I arrived now. I can spread my wings and show every state of who I am as far as Kendrick Lamar.'"

Kendrick also teased what fans can expect from his upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show. He claims it will feature plenty of storytelling. His remarks come shortly after TMZ reported that he'll definitely be performing "Not Like Us," which fans have been wondering for months. All that needs to be determined is whether or not lyrics accusing Drake of being a pedophile will be broadcast.

About The Author
Caroline Fisher is a News Writer at HotNewHipHop from Chicago, Illinois. She started at HNHH this year, and has since spent her time writing about all that is newsworthy in the world of hip-hop. With a drive for hunting down the hottest stories, she enjoys documenting new developments in culture and entertainment. She also has an appreciation for hip-hop and seeks to cover the most important trends and shifts. She has a Bachelor of Arts which she received at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having graduated in 2022, she majored in English with a concentration in Media, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies. Specializing all things music, pop culture and entertainment, some of her favorite musical artists include Snoop Dogg, OutKast, and Nicki Minaj. When she’s not writing about music she’s also a fan of attending shows, watching the latest movies, staying up-to-date with current events, photography, and poetry.