Kendrick Lamar and his hit diss track, "Not Like Us," have returned to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While Lamar originally released the song back in May 2024, it's been going through a resurgence on the charts after he performed it at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, earlier this month. The song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 when it first released as well.
In addition to it's popularity, "Not Like Us" has been successful with critics. It won in five categories at the Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. This was on top of Billboard Music Award and BET Hip Hop Award wins. Following the success of the song, Drake took legal action against Universal Music Group over allegations Lamar makes in the lyrics. "Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles," Lamar raps at one point in a fiery song.
Why Is Drake Suing UMG?
Drake claims the company artificially inflated the sales of the track in an effort to devalue his brand as the two sides continue contract negotiations. The drama led to confusion as to whether Lamar would perform the song at Super Bowl LIX. Prior to kickoff, Drake's legal team put out a statement. It read: “UMG is masquerading as a champion of artistic freedom by calling its actions merely ‘entertainment,’ but there is nothing entertaining about pedophilia or child abuse in the real world. We are confident that the evidence we will ultimately present at trial—including information we’ve already learned and continue to receive since filing the lawsuit—will expose UMG’s gross prioritization of its own corporate profits and executive bonuses over its exclusively signed artists’ well-being and the truth.”
"Not Like Us" isn't the only song of Kendrick Lamar's to be picking up steam in recent days. His collaboration with SZA, "Luther," also ascended to No. 1 on the Apple Music charts, knocking down Drake's "Gimme a Hug."
[Via]
