Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" Spikes Up Charts After Drake Loses Lawsuit

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares 4.2K Views
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Kendrick Lamar Not Like Us Charts After Drake Lawsuit Hip Hop News
Feb 15, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Kendrick Lamar accepts Best Rap Album during the 58th Grammy Awards at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Many iTunes, Apple Music, and Spotify users ran "Not Like Us" back as Drake prepares to appeal this decision over Kendrick Lamar's diss.

It was clear a long time ago that the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle would dominate hip-hop discourse for years to come, although many fans didn't expect legal procedures to be a part of this discussion. However, now that Drizzy's defamation lawsuit against UMG has been dismissed, the diss track "Not Like Us" is getting a boost from that unexpected legal move all the same.

According to pgLang Updates on Twitter, the West Coast hit re-entered the iTunes and Apple Music Top 100 song charts after Judge Jeannette Vargas' decision – in multiple countries, in Apple's case. Also, the page reports that the track received 1.2 million streams on Spotify on the day that the decision came down (Thursday, October 9).

Of course, this is no surprise given how big the song was and all the conversation that continues to form around this legendary feud. As much as botting accusations, criticisms for dragging the beef, and other debates rage on, a hit is a hit.

Nevertheless, Drake is seeking an appeal, so there's a chance that this isn't over yet. We will see where that leads in the future...

How Many Grammys Does Drake Have?

Still, this diss track is part of a much larger era for the Compton lyricist. Although "Not Like Us" already won big at the Grammys last year, Kendrick Lamar is looking for more. He recently made his submissions for Grammy Award consideration in 2026, namely for his GNX album, some of its big hits, and a couple of recent features for Playboi Carti and Clipse. Depending on how many he wins – if any – he might become the most awarded hip-hop artist in Recording Academy history. For the record, the 6ix God has 5 out of 55 nominations; Kendrick has 22 out of 57.

In the meantime, Drake is revving up for ICEMAN, which should drop sometime this year. Some fans think this lawsuit dismissal will impact its content, but we'll only be able to find out when it comes out.

So far since the release of "Like That," it feels like these titanic MCs are trading off their wins, since both continue to see a lot of success. Hopefully in the next few years, that doesn't have to always be at each other's expense.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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