Drake has kept a relatively low profile since Kendrick Lamar dropped “Not Like Us,” his most ubiquitous Drake diss track that continues to inflict pain two months later. Over the weekend, however, Drake stoked the fires by posting an Instagram photo showing him lounging on the couch while wearing a black T-shirt reading, “RAP IS A JOKE.”
People sprinted to Drake’s comments section and X (formerly Twitter) to make assumptions, including many comments arguing that Drake’s shirt is his attempt to downplay his beef with Lamar after most everybody agreed he lost miserably when they exchanged diss tracks this spring.
But what is the true meaning behind Drake’s shirt?
Drake’s ‘Rap Is A Joke’ Shirt: What’s The Meaning Behind It?
Complex astutely pointed out that Drake’s “RAP IS A JOKE” shirt is a reference to Frank Stacks and L-Money’s Rap Is A Joke battle rap and parody duo out of the Bay Area. According to what appears to be the official Rap Is A Joke Instagram account — emphasis on “appears” — Tech N9ne recently rocked the same black graphic tee. Drake posting a photo wearing the shirt could very well hold absolutely zero significant relative to Kendrick Lamar, but does Drake ever do anything without subtext?
The shirt is listed for $20 and available for purchase here.
At the height of Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s tussle on tracks, fans wondered where why Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj didn’t publicly chime in. Well, yesterday (July 13) after not uttering a word about the beef, Lil Wayne appeared to subtly shown his support for his Young Money Records mentee.
During a performance in Zouk Nightclub, one of the homes of his official Las Vegas residency, Lil Wayne remixed Kendrick Lamar’s diss track aimed at Drake, “Not Like Us.”
As Lil Wayne and Drake’s 2011 collaboration “The Motto” played in the background, Weezy held up his OVO chain as he rapped, “They not like us.” Although it was a kind gesture, users online have taken the act to be a subtle co-sign of Kendrick Lamar, given his reference of the pair’s one-time lovers’ triangle.
“Damn bro, even Wayne is mad at Drake,” penned one user.
On his official Instagram page, Drake uploaded an image of himself sporting a t-shirt with the line: “Rap is a joke.” Below the image, Drake added a cryptic caption.
“The pressure from being on top does more than just make your ears pop,” read the post.
In the comment section of Drake’s post, followers showed their support with uplifting messages. But over on X (formerly Twitter), users called out the “Family Matters” rapper for being a poor sport after losing the lyrical feud against Kendrick Lamar.
“He’s just mad he lost his rap beef. LOL,” wrote one user.
The $20 printed top is a signature merch item from Bay Area duo Rap Is A Joke (Frank Stacks and L-$) that creates parody pieces around hip-hop culture. Could this be Drake’s response to Kendrick Lamar’s “You think the Bay gonna let you disrespect Pac n*****” line on “Not Like Us?”
LL Cool J has making the rounds in promotion of his new album. One of the most consistent talking points for the rapper, outside of his own music, is the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle. LL has beefed with his fair share of rappers in the past. His POV is useful, and oftentimes insightful. He once again talked about the Drake vs. Lamar battle during a recent interview with Charlamagne tha God. This time, though, he gave advice to Drake, in particular.
LL and Charlamagne talked about rap beef more broadly before the former narrowed the focus to Drake and Kendrick Lamar. “Drake,” he said. “That ‘Not Like Us‘ sh*t, that sh*t’s torture for a motherf*cker. Ah sh*t, little kids singing to it. You know that sh*t’s bananas.” LL Cool J had a good laugh over the success of the Kendrick Lamar song, but he also expressed sympathy for Drake. “You’ll be fine, bro,” he assured the 6 God. “Don’t even trip. “You just don’t take it personal… You can’t be overly sensitive.” LL Cool J admitted that he’s been in a similar situation, where he was forced to stomach a song that was made at his expense. “I get it,” he told Charlamagne. “I been there, I know it. It can be upsetting… But you gotta control that.”
LL Cool J crowned Kendrick Lamar the winner of the battle during a recent Hot 97 interview. He went as far as to suggest that Drake stepping to Compton’s own was a bad idea. That being said, LL was high on Drake’s performance within the battle. “Both of them are super talented, they both did great,” he told the host. “It ain’t like Drake completely and utterly played himself…” LL also gave both rappers their flowers, and noted what the battle will do for both of their legacies. “Both of their names will be etched in history because of it,” he asserted.
LL Cool J is on the other side of his career, however. He told Charlamagne that he’s trying to be positive towards his peers. “I don’t even wanna go there,” he explained. “I wanna keep things positive energy. No problem, no fake tough guy bullsh*t.” LL backed up his claims by clearing up the long-standing rumor that he had beef with JAY-Z. He admitted that the two men exchanged bars back in 1996, but claimed that he lyrically spent after coming off an album cycle. LL also denied throwing subs at JAY on his song “Loungin.’”
Yesterday (July 11), a company the Compton native is all too familiar with came forward to thank him for his service to the city. During a chat with TMZ, the owner of Tam’s Burgers, Spiro Vovos, promised Kendrick an all-you-can-eat lifetime pass at the establishment after being featured in the song’s official music video.
“Anything he wants it is on the house,” he said. That surely includes Kendrick’s usual bacon cheeseburger.
Although Vovos’ cooking didn’t jump-start Kendrick’s love for the restaurant, he does have the family recipe. “My grandfather probably was the one feeding him growing up,” he said. “We’re [just] so lucky and very thankful for him and his team.”
As for how the scenes came to be, Vovos shined light on that too. “Kendrick’s team [called] and asked if he could come back and film a music video,” he said. “He’s been here before, and [so] of course, I’m going to say yes. He’s such a big icon to Compton and to this whole community. So, we didn’t think twice.”
Following Kendrick’s video, which featured multiple shots at the restaurant, Vovos said they show a 40% sales increase. Now, should Kendrick wish to drop in for burgers, a breakfast combo, or any other side dishes, he won’t have to worry about a thing (not that he had to before but still).
Kendrick hasn’t responded to the public declaration, but it seems too finger-licking good to pass up.
The 2024 ESPY Awards went down last night (July 11), and even there, at a sports event he didn’t attend, Drake was not safe. He’s had a target on his back ever since the Kendrick Lamar feud and success of the “Not Like Us” diss track, and ESPYs host Serena Williams took her shot.
What Did Serena Williams Say About Drake At The 2024 ESPYs?
During her monologue, Williams said, “If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar.” A brief clip of “Not Like Us” then played over the PA and Williams did a bit of dancing. She continued, “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a [Toronto] Raptors game, they’re going to Forest Gump him: ‘Seat’s taken.’”
Serena Williams crip waking to ‘Not Like Us’ and clowning Drake on stage at the ESPYs pic.twitter.com/y3CUZGmYWO
Meanwhile, Eminem just addressed Lamar and some other rappers on his new album The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), saying on “Renaissance,” “Now just travel inside the mind of a hater / ‘Cause I don’t see no fans, all I see’s a bunch of complainers / ‘Kendrick’s album was cool but it didn’t have any bangers’ / ‘Wayne’s album or Ye’s, couldn’t tell you which one was lamer’ / ‘Joyner’s album was corny, Shady’s new sh*t is way worse’ / ‘Everything is either too tame or there’s too much anger’ / ‘I didn’t like the beef so I hated Might Delete Later‘ / You nerdy pricks would find something wrong with 36 Chambers.”
Lord Jamar is not one to hold back his opinions. The latest to get a bit of his mind is Drake, who he believes should not be permitted to say the N-word.
“I could see you going back to the white people when nobody is around and saying ‘Yeah, I say n***a in my rhymes and they don’t say anything to me,’” Jamar suggested. “‘That’s because they think I’m one of them, but I’m really one of you.’
“You’ve got to choose a lane, bro. Choose a lane. He wants to be everything to all people it seems like, and you can’t do that. You’ve got to pick a side.”
Lord Jamar says he doesn’t like how Drake uses the n-word and suspects that Drake talks negatively about black people to white people.
In 2016, Drake hosted the ESPYs. He was praised for his performance and comedic timing. In 2024, however, Serena Williams made the ESPYs an anti-Drake affair. The tennis superstar took the stage during the event and addressed the elephant in the room. She was referenced (positively) in the diss track “Not Like Us,” and she gave the love right back to Kendrick Lamar by dancing to the stage in the middle of her speech. Serena Williams also suggested that Drake is going to have a difficult time living the song down.
Serena Williams was the host for the 2024 ESPYS, so the chances were high that she was going to make a joke about the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle. She didn’t waste any time. “If I’ve learned anything this year,” she noted. “Its that none of us should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar…” The song “Not Like Us” then kicked in, and Williams danced while the crowd looked on in delight. The real blow was dealt after the song came to an end, though. Serena Williams then used Drake as an example of what can happen when someone challenges K. Dot. “He will make your hometown not like you,” she explained. “The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they’re gonna Forest Gump him, seats taken…”
Serena Williams And Drake Were Romantically Linked For Years
Serena Williams just crip walked at the ESPY Awards to ‘Not Like Us’ making fun of Drake
“and if I’ve learned anything this year, its that none of us should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar… he will make your hometown not like you, the next time Drake sits courtside at a… pic.twitter.com/KAwTdm4uWR
Serena Williams and Drake have a complicated personal history. They were seen together throughout 2011, which is when rumors swirled that the two were dating. Their friendship lasted several years, and the two allegedly left the 2015 US Open semi-finals together. Williams and Drake ended their friendship sometime before 2017, as the former married Alexis Ohanian and welcomed a child. Drake is believed to address the split in the song “Nothings Into Somethings.” The rapper also took aim at Ohanian in “Middle of the Ocean” from 2022. “Sidebar,” he raps. “Serena, your husband a groupie. He claim we don’t got a problem but. No, boo, it is like you comin’ for sushi.”
Serena Williams wasn’t a fan of Drake’s bars. Neither was Kendrick Lamar, evidently. He blasted Drake for talking badly about the tennis icon on the aforementioned “Not Like Us.” The bond between K. Dot and Williams tracks, given their shared Compton upbringing. “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither,” Dot spits. “From Alondra down to Central, n**ga better not speak on Serena.” Drake’s trash-talking came back to haunt him, and Williams just handed him another embarrassing moment on a stage he once dominated.
Kendrick Lamar’s metaphorical beatdown of Drake was so bad, it’s still getting referenced months later in all kinds of contexts outside of hip-hop. For instance, Ken’s fellow Comptonite, Serena Williams, name-dropped him while dancing to his song “Not Like Us” during her monologue as host of the 2024 ESPY Awards.
“If there’s anything I’ve learned this year,” she joked, “it’s that none of us — not even me — should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar.” The show’s DJ took the opportunity to play a clip of the song, allowing Williams the chance to reference one of her own viral moments and do a little C-walk before continuing, “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake is at a Toronto Raptors game, they’re going to Forest Gump him,” she laughed, launching into an approximation of the country bumpkin accent of that film’s protagonist’s bullies. “‘Seat’s taken.’”
Serena Williams crip waking to ‘Not Like Us’ and clowning Drake on stage at the ESPYs pic.twitter.com/y3CUZGmYWO
It wasn’t the first time she’s referenced the song recently. During a panel at the 2024 Essence Fest, she called “Not Like Us’ the song of the summer (prompting Uproxx’s own Derrick Rossignol to take a swing at identifying all the candidates for that honor). “I love that song,” she said. “It’s like the hit of the summer. When they play that jam, I’m jamming.”
Poor Drake. It wasn’t too long ago, that he was the only makin’ ’em laugh at the ESPYs. Live long enough, you will become the villain (although, again, he brought all this on himself).
The Compton star’s alleged disconnect from the world, which became a trademark of sorts for him, also led to a disconnect with Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha fans who demand their stars to be ever-present and at the top of their to keep their crown. Two years later, Lamar finds himself in the good graces of these young fans following his win in the epic, rapid-fire rap battle against Drake. Through his diss tracks, especially “Not Like Us,” Lamar not only reconnected with the world and remained present, but he also proved that he always had his ears to the streets.
For example, in the “Not Like Us” video, Lamar references a Drake TikTok dance video — something a rapper who goes “months without a phone” wouldn’t notice. In the end, it made for an entertaining war that also made Lamar a more appealing figure for Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fans who had yet to connect with him.
When Lamar announced Morale, he did so by quoting a tweet by self-labeled “hip-hop enthusiast” SK (@raptalksk) who claimed that “Kendrick Lamar is officially retired” due to the lengthy absence fans endured before the album’s release. SK, a college freshman at the time of that tweet, captured the general sentiment of Gen-Z and Alpha rap fans who’d yet to see Lamar be the star that their elders claimed he was. Lamar wasn’t as active and ever-present as his contemporaries – Drake and J. Cole – or modern-day stars like Travis Scott, Future, and Young Thug, nor was his music universally loved like the aforementioned names.
Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fans live in an era where their favorite entertainment is readily and consistently available, and new editions quickly arrive to replace the previous ones. In the past decade, Lamar didn’t care to cater to their desires, but in his battle with Drake, Lamar prioritized their interests knowing that it was key to beating his opponent.
Unlike any other time in his career, Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fans became Kendrick Lamar’s main audience during the height of his beef with Drake. “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s final entry in the battle, is a joyful dance on Drake’s metaphorical grave and a victory lap that mocks the rapper with comedic vitriol, a perfect delivery for Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha fans. Lines like “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor” and “Freaky-ass n****, he a 69 God” and the “OVOHoe” chant quickly became rallying cries in young fans’ newfound love for Lamar in the mainstream world. With “Not Like Us,” Lamar successfully recruited a new generation of rap fans who’d failed to appreciate him as one of rap’s elites. It’s the same crowd that Drake typically catered to with his music, especially that of the past half-decade.
It was a smart move from Lamar who is just two years removed from the mixed reception Morale received. Yes, the album topped the charts and went on to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album the following year, but it wasn’t held in the same regard by this young generation. It extended a streak of difficulty Lamar had in roping in Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha.
To Pimp A Butterfly, arguably his best album, is often deemed his worst by this young crowd. DAMN. trended in the right direction, but Morale erased that progress – not that Lamar desired to go out of his way and recruit this crowd. That changed with “Not Like Us.” Lamar reportedly removed copyright claims on the song for a limited time which allowed streamers – mostly made up of Gen-Z and Alpha members – to freely use the record for any content they desired, even commercial purposes.
Just like that, “Not Like Us” skyrocketed to the top of the charts and entered itself into the song of the summer conversation while becoming the biggest hit of Lamar’s career. To this day, videos with the song continue to go viral on social media. Whether it be at clubs, birthday parties, other artists’ concerts, in weather reports, or Twitch streams from this generation’s favorite streamers, “Not Like Us” has become inescapable. It’s a successful move by Lamar pulled right from Drake’s playbook as the Toronto native employed the same tactics with his Meek Mill diss track “Back To Back.”
Lamar pushed the agenda further by performing the song five consecutive times at his The Pop Out — Ken & Friends show before releasing an epic music video for the song three weeks later. The same Kendrick Lamar who would release an album, drop music videos, and go on tour, before retreating to his Compton cave, is now outside and in the face of everyone willing and unwilling to watch just as the young generation called for him to be.
“Not Like Us” and Kendrick Lamar’s rap beef with Drake placed the star right back in the good graces of young rap fans. How long Lamar will be there remains unknown, but at the very least, their eyes are on him as they await his next move. Rumors of new music on the way from Lamar have picked up steam by the day as some hint at a massive “Not Like Us” remix while others point the rapper’s sixth album is on the way.
The latter seems to be the most likely as the “Not Like Us” video begins with a brief preview of an unreleased song complete with thumping, bass-rattling production that Lamar glides over with a catchy flow. The preview was met with support from all generations as they begged Lamar to release the song. This is all a result of “Not Like Us,” a record that unlocked the Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fan generations for Kendrick Lamar who will have his biggest audience yet for the most anticipated era of his career.
(@RememberTiff) 
,” asked one user.
. Him and Ab Soul are trying to reignite the beef. I guess. LOL,” wrote one user. 
(@lovepopgirls) 
,” penned another.
(@arianaunext) 
: The Art Of Dialogue/YouTube) 
