Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Dominates Spotify’s 2024 Global Songs of Summer

by
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Retakes No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

As summer draws to a close, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” has emerged as one of Spotify’s 2024 Global Songs of Summer. The track captures the spirit of the season and resonates deeply with listeners across the Northern Hemisphere. Selected by Spotify’s global music editorial team, it represents the hip-hop genre among a diverse set of songs that defined summer 2024.

“Not Like Us” transcended the rap beef that inspired it, driving a massive surge in streams for Kendrick Lamar’s entire catalog on Spotify immediately after its release. The song saw its most significant spike on June 20 globally and in the US, coinciding with Kendrick’s highly-attended Juneteenth concert in Los Angeles, which boosted its momentum.

The release of the “Not Like Us” music video on July 4th further propelled the track, leading it to dominate Spotify’s US Chart for 28 consecutive days at the number one spot. As the anthem continued to gain traction, it became a defining sound of the summer, encapsulating the season’s energy and securing its place among Spotify’s top picks.

Also featured in Spotify’s 2024 Songs of Summer are Billie Eilish’s “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” a dreamy and introspective track that captured listeners’ imaginations, and Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” an upbeat anthem that fueled summer parties. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” brought a smooth, pop-infused vibe, while Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” added a playful touch, rounding out the eclectic mix of tracks that defined summer 2024.

SOS Covers

The post Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Dominates Spotify’s 2024 Global Songs of Summer first appeared on The Source.

The post Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Dominates Spotify’s 2024 Global Songs of Summer appeared first on The Source.

Drake Teases Unreleased Kendrick Lamar Collab In New “100 Gigs” Clip

by

Drake is continuing to play the long game. The rapper has been steadily dishing out content on his 100 Gigs website. More recently, the content seems to be focused on people he currently has beef with. He posted a 2013 clip in which he praised Kanye West. Then, days later, he followed the controversial artist on Instagram. Drake did it again on August 27. The rapper decided to upload a clip in which him and his longtime producer discuss a Kendrick Lamar collaboration. A collaboration none of us knew about.

The bulk of the clip sees producer Noah “40” Shebib tinker with a beat. Drake then enters the frame and proceeds to explain how Kendrick Lamar will sound great on it. “For him, where he’s at,” Drake explained. “I know he’s gonna murder this.” 40’s response suggests that he made the beat specifically for a Drake and Kendrick Lamar collab. “When you told me Kendrick,” he noted. “It just made so much sense.” The beat in question was co-produced by Dreamville artist Omen. We know this because the beat was later used by Action Bronson on the 2013 song “Actin’ Crazy.”

Read More: Drake Backtracks After Teasing Round 2 With Kendrick Lamar

Drake Was Excited To Rap With K. Dot In Old Footage

The release date of the Bronsolino song helps provide a time frame for when the Drake and Dot collab was supposed to happen. The two rappers linked up for “Poetic Justice” in 2012 and “F*ckin Problems” in 2013. Issues arose later in the year, when Lamar dropped the “Control” verse and Drake threw a few subs his way on the song “The Language.” Drake’s physical appearance in the 100 Gigs clip aligns with this timeframe. It’s unclear whether Lamar ever spit a verse on the “Actin’ Crazy” beat, or if Drake even put down bars.

What is clear, though, is the chess move. Drake is very purposely putting material about Kendrick Lamar on his website. The rapper seemingly wants the battle to keep going, and is resorting to tactics that are less direct than a diss song. An internet theory is that Drake will eventually release evidence that he fed Lamar’s team the false information that was used on “Meet the Grahams.” There’s noting to support this, but we are entering new territory in terms of Lamar-related content. The next few weeks should be interesting, to say the least.

Read More: Drake And The Weeknd Appear To Hate Eachother In Resurfaced “100 Gigs” Clip

The post Drake Teases Unreleased Kendrick Lamar Collab In New “100 Gigs” Clip appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

YG’s First Week Sales Are Abysmal And Fans Blame Kendrick Lamar

by

YG is a proven hip-hop talent. He’s been making acclaimed albums for a decade, and he’s been featured on several hit singles. Unfortunately, the rapper’s pedigree did not translate to success for his new tape, Just Re’d Up 3. The (seemingly anticipated) third installment in his series only sold 8K in its first week. A massive downturn from his last album, I Got Issues, which moved 13,800 units in 2022. Fans were pretty surprised by the downturn. A narrative quickly developed though, and it had to do with YG’s West Coast brother, Kendrick Lamar.

The social media consensus was that Kendrick Lamar should have used his considerable success to help promote YG’s album. YG supposed Dot throughout the Drake battle. He was one of the artists who was at the Pop Out show. He also distanced himself from Drake, despite working with the Toronto rapper on two of his biggest singles. “Why didn’t Kendrick tweet or post YG’s album,” one Twitter user questioned. “Nobody find this weird??” Others took a more hostile approach, and claimed that Lamar used his West Coast peers when it was convenient, but failed to help them out in return.

Read More: YG Leads Peace Walk With Rival Gang Members

Fans Think K. Dot Should Have Promoted YG’s Album

“The Pop Out show did nothing for all these artists that danced on that stage,” wrote one irate user. “They all got used for personal gain by Kendrick and nothing more. Kendrick couldn’t even give them features or post their albums. ‘West Coast united’ but did nothing for any of them after. Clown show.” YG isn’t the first artist who has suffered low album sales after linking up with Dot. DJ Mustard scored his first ever number one single when he produced Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” Mustard bashed Drake in the media and happily appeared alongside Lamar in the music video. When it came time for the producer to drop his new album, though, it underperformed. Faith of a Mustard Seed only sold 18K in its first week.

Once again, fans were puzzled by Kendrick Lamar’s lack of involvement. The rapper didn’t contribute a verse to the album, nor did he bother promoting it on social media. It obviously isn’t Lamar’s job to do any of these things, but critics are beginning to piece together a narrative in which the Compton rapper has the opposite of the Drake stimulus package. In other words, a Kendrick Lamar co-sign will not help album sales. Mustard crashed out on Twitter after his album numbers were released. He still managed to sell 10K more than poor YG, though.

Read More: YG Denies Implying Saweetie Cheated On Him After Heated Argument

The post YG’s First Week Sales Are Abysmal And Fans Blame Kendrick Lamar appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Meek Mill Freestyles Over Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” Diss: Watch

by

Meek Mill is always up to something. The Philadelphia rapper can always be counted on to say or do something that makes fans scratch their heads. Meek Mill decided he want to showcase his freestyle skills on August 26 by spitting a verse over “Family Matters.” Then, a few hours later, Meek Mill came back with another freestyle. Instead of being over a Drake diss, however, the rapper decided to flip the script. He spit over the beat to Kendrick Lamar’s diss, “Euphoria,” instead.

Meek Mill played the “Family Matters” freestyle in a car, which made sense. The rapper decided to get a little more adventurous when it came to “Euphoria,” though. Meek decided to walk through a department store and rap along to his recorded freestyle in public. He documented the whole thing on his Instagram Live. He also provided some context in the form of a written caption. “I did Kendrick and Drake beats for practice,” he explained. Meek Mill is no stranger to rap beef. Especially when it comes to the 6 God. He has weighed in on the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle via social media, but his overall sentiment was a little confusing.

Read More: Meek Mill Advises Fans To Stop “Speaking On The Dead”

Meek Mill Praised Both Drake And Dot During The Battle

Meek Mill avoided choosing sides, then proceeded to big up his own battle skills in the process. He also shed light on his PR situation, for some reason. “My PR has been off for a year,” he tweeted back in May. “When I’m gone they will give it up! Ima just keep grinding! [The] boy and Kendrick have their own lanes and qualities they great at also!” To be fair to Meek, he may be ahead of the game, rather than behind it. While “Family Matters” and “Euphoria” are months old, Drake has been hinting at a second round of the battle.

The Toronto rapper posted an Instagram Story of Rasheed Wallace proclaiming: “We will win Game 2.” Fans didn’t have to do too much deep diving to know that he was alluding the Kendrick Lamar battle. Drake took the Instagram Story down shortly after, though, which confounded just about everybody. Meek Mill may have more diss songs to freestyle over, if the 6 God makes good on his quasi-cryptic post.

Read More: Meek Mill Appears To Be Fine With Michael Rubin’s Controversial Black Culture Comments

The post Meek Mill Freestyles Over Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” Diss: Watch appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Drake And Playboi Carti Have ‘No Face’ For Their Stinging Bars, But Fans Believe The Song Is A Kendrick Lamar Diss

by

The summer is coming to a close, but Drake still has heat to deliver. Yesterday (August 23), the “Too Good” rapper seemingly woke up and chose violence.

Apparently, Drake’s 100 Gigs release was just a warm-up. When everyone least expected it, Drake dropped another previously unreleased collaboration, “No Face” featuring Playboi Carti.

Although Playboi Carti’s guest verses have proven to be a hit song’s secret sauce, he only appears across the track’s chorus. The verses are reserved for Drake, as he seemingly took aim at Kendrick Lamar once again. Back in May, Drake supposedly waved that white flag in heated battle. But, some rap beefs never die.

Drake subtly addressed his longtime foe, Metro Boomin, and possibly Mustard in the opening lines, as he rapped: “This is the sh*t that my daddy had raised me on / N****s got lit off the features I skated on / I gotta know, I gotta know / How you get lit off the n**** you hatin’ on? / Numbers untouchable, they got the data wrong.”

In the next verse, Drake turned his attention to musicians who jumped in to shade him during the height of his beef with Kendrick Lamar.

“Cause I keep on talkin’ ’bout beefin’ and business and money and women / It’s no diagnosis, they emptied the clip / Quick, swap that sh*t out, and I came back reloaded / I’m just so happy that n****s who envied and held that shit in got to finally show it / I’m over the / Moon, yeah, we’ll see you boys soon / I’m spreadin’ my wings, I hop out cocoon,” he rapped.

Listen to Drake’s song “No Face” featuring Playboi Carti above.

Drake Seemingly Mocks Kendrick Lamar On New Song “Circadian Rhythm”

by

Drake does not mention anybody by name on “Circadian Rhythm.” The song refers to “they” during the rapper’s verses, but the context is crucial. Drake is finally talking about the Kendrick Lamar battle on wax again, and he wants to make it clear he’s not bothered. “Circadian Rhythm” is dedicated to this concept. The 6 God flips the meaning of the title to point out that he’s still “up” when his competition is down. He hasn’t lost a step, per his bars. There are specific lines littered throughout, though, that seem specifically aimed at K. Dot.

“How many quotes I wrote? How much gold I struck? Ayy,” Drake raps during second verse. “How many funeral dates they plan for me, and I dodged it like the truck? Yeah.” The funeral dates seem like a fairly pointed reference to Kendrick Lamar’s Pop Out Show on Juneteenth. The concert was dubbed a funeral for Drake online, due to how much Lamar celebrating onstage. He played “Not Like Us” a whopping five times to close out the show. Drake’s rebuttal? He’s still here, still alive despite Dot’s best efforts.

Read More: ASAP Rocky Catches Heat For His Dismissive Drake Beef Comments

Drake’s Title References A Kendrick Lamar Diss Track

It’s also worth noting the use of the phrase “Circadian Rhythm.” It’s never said once during the song. A song in which it is said, though, is Kendrick Lamar’s “6:16 In L.A.” The Compton rapper pulled out these specific words on his second official Drake diss. “I know this type of power is gon’ cost,” Dot raps. “But I live in circadian rhythms of a shooting star.” Drake and Kendrick Lamar are not artists who do things by accident. Everything is intentional with them, so it’s hard to imagine this is a mere coincidence. The title of the song also prove important with regards to Drake’s past.

The rapper subtitled “Circadian Rhythm” as “The Language 2.” This is obviously in reference to his 2013 song, “The Language.” The connection is noteworthy, because the original song is believed to be Drake’s response to Kendrick Lamar after the latter dropped the “Control” verse. Drizzy and Kenny were involved in a cold war in 2013, and the former clearly sends subs the latter’s way. “I don’t know why they’ve been lying but your sh*t is not that inspiring,” he raps. “F*ck any n**ga that’s talkin’ that sh*t just to get a reaction.” Time really is a flat circle.

Read More: Drake Fires Back At Rappers Who Dissed Him On New Song “No Face”

The post Drake Seemingly Mocks Kendrick Lamar On New Song “Circadian Rhythm” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Drake Fires Back At Rappers Who Dissed Him On New Song “No Face”

by

Drake is keeping it moving. The dust has barely settled on the rapper’s “100 GIGS” release, and now we have three new songs. A lot of the attention will go to “Supersoak,” the anticipated Lil Yachty leak that no longer features Lil Yachty. That said, “No Face” has the most fascinating bars. Drake and Playboi Carti go back and forth on a hard rage beat. Carti does his thing, per usual. Drake, however, takes the time to call out the rappers who dissed him in 2024. It’s a long list, and the Toronto superstar decides to side swipe them all with a couple lines.

We’ve heard Drake go the detailed route. “Push Ups” and “Family Matters” were instances of him dissing each of his enemies specifically. He found time to poke fun at The Weeknd, Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky, and of course, Kendrick Lamar. “No Face” opts for a different approach. The 6 God decides to go vague with it, and hint at what’s to come. “I’m just so happy,” he raps. “That n**gas who envied and held that sh*t in got to finally show it.” The second line, though, is more ominous. “I’m over the moon, yeah, we’ll see you boys soon,” Drake adds. This isn’t the only time on “No Face” the 6 God decides to address what went down between him and the rest of the rap game.

Read More: ASAP Rocky Finally Breaks His Silence On Drake Beef

Drake Tells His Enemies That He’ll See Them “Soon”

Much has been made about Drake’s diminishing ability to make hits. The “Drake stimulus package” that ran R&B and hip hop for over a decade has been labeled obsolete. The rapper doesn’t much care for that take. He reminds everyone that he helped people like Ross, Rocky, and The Weeknd blow up. “This is the sh*t that my daddy had raised me on. N**gas got lit off the features I skated on,” he spits. “I gotta know, I gotta know. How you get lit off the n**ga you hatin’ on?” Drake is planning something big, and the bulk of his verse at the something without every revealing what it is.

The rest of Drake’s first verse bears this out. He even makes reference to the advice that people like OVO 40 have been giving him behind closed doors. “40 keep sayin’ it’s time to be patient,” he explains. “It’s so many people we turnin’ the tables on. Capo got plans, but we’ll save that for later on. Hush’ll keep sayin’ they know that they played it wrong.” The 6 God is definitely back on his subliminal game. We’re curious and excited to see where the rest of Drake’s 2024 goes.

Read More: Drake Fans Troll Joe Budden After “Pump It Up” Goes Gold After 21 Years

The post Drake Fires Back At Rappers Who Dissed Him On New Song “No Face” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Mustard Is Not Interested In Making Music With ‘Strange Guy’ Drake After Producing Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’

by
dj mustard
Getty Image

Most people make it pretty obvious where they stand in the debate of Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar. Mustard, example, produced Lamar’s chart-topping Drake diss “Not Like Us.” He’s keeping that energy up, too, as he says he has no interest in working with Drake in the future.

In a recent Los Angeles Times interview, Mustard said, “I don’t think I want to make a song with that dude. He’s a strange guy.”

He also spoke about Drake’s fans, saying, “These guys don’t go to sleep — all they do is tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet. That’s where ‘the Nation of drizzlam’ came from. I said it in a joking manner, but I guess on Twitter it looked like I was mad [laughs]. Drake should use that phrase. I won’t charge him for it.”

Mustard has praise for Lamar, of course, saying, “He’s just a genius. He does the unthinkable every time. And on a human level — just as a normal person — I like his style. […] His whole mystique gives me the same vibes as Prince. Even now [after the success of ‘Not Like Us’], the guy has not posted anything. I told him, ‘I don’t know how you do that sh*t. Me, I’d be like, ‘Yeah, I’m No. 1!””

Check out the full feature here.

Punch Reveals Crucial Role In Making Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly”

by

Punch is a talented wordsmith in his own right. The man born Terrence Henderson is best known for running Top Dawg Entertainment alongside Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith. That said, Punch has dropped guest verses on Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul albums in the past. Punch reflected on his musical output via Instagram on August 21. He not only revealed that he was involved in the making of Lamar’s seminal album To Pimp a Butterfly, but he was crucial in the resolution of its narrative concept. The way Punch tells it, the album would have been very different had he not been working alongside Dot.

The closing track on To Pimp a Butterfly is “Mortal Man.” Kendrick Lamar reads a poem to Tupac, referring to said poem as something a “good friend had wrote.” Punch told Instagram followers that he was the “good friend in question.” The poem he wrote effectively lays out the thesis and title of To Pimp a Butterfly, which is something he claims Lamar struggled with. “I remember K. Dot was feeling a bit lost in the concept,” Punch recalled. “It happens sometimes when your in the thick of the battle. It’s easy to kind of lose sight of the original purpose as new ideas and thought enter in.” The TDE boss claims that Lamar asked him to write a poem that would help snap the narrative into place. He obliged.

Read More: TDE’s Punch Questions Elliott Wilson’s Edit Of Kendrick Lamar’s “Meet The Grahams”

Punch Helped K. Dot Complete The Album’s Concept

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Punch (@iamstillpunch)

“I thought about it and wrote some words and sent it to him,” Punch added. “He said ‘thanks’ and we kept moving with business as usual.” The TDE boss noted that weeks went by with no mention of the poem. It wasn’t until Punch sat down to listen to “Mortal Man” that he discovered Lamar had used the poem as the album’s capper. “I realized these were the words that I sent Dot months before! I had no idea he was using it for the album,” he recalled. “Even when we played it back during the process he never played that section.”

Punch doesn’t have a credit on “Mortal Man.” However, he remains grateful to Lamar for involving him in such a notable piece of music. “This will always be a special moment for me,” he concluded on his IG post. “Because of our connection and understanding and also being apart of that masterpiece in that way.” It’s difficult to imagine the end of “Mortal Man,” and by extension, To Pimp a Butterfly, without Punch’s poem serving as the cherry on top.

Read More: Punch TDE Hilariously Responds To A Supposed Drake Fan’s Claims That His Label Is Full Of “Thugs”

The post Punch Reveals Crucial Role In Making Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Plays During Gavin Newsom’s DNC Speech

by

Gavin Newsom is the Governor of California, and Kendrick Lamar is the King of Compton. Newsom is aware of the iconography and the popularity that Lamar wields. Especially after he managed to defeat Toronto superstar Drake in a battle. Unsurprisingly, Gavin Newsom decided to utilize the Lamar aura during his appearance at the Democratic National Convention. The Governor gave an impassioned speech in support of Presidential nominee Kamala Harris. During Newsom’s speech, Lamar’s smash single “Not Like Us” can be heard playing in the background.

The juxtaposition of Lamar’s anthem with Newsom’s rhetoric is jarring, to say the least. The Governor is flanked by Nancy Pelosi while pontificating on the rise of Kamala Harris. All the while, Lamar’s disrespect anthem rings off. It’s somewhat comical. Gavin Newsom praises Harris’ handling of economic, social and racial justice, as well as her time as attorney general. “I saw that star get even brighter,” he asserted. “As attorney general of California, as a United States Senator, and as Vice President.” The practice of utilizing hip-hop to bolster political speeches is nothing new, of course. Earlier in the roll call, Georgia brought out Lil Jon to perform a medley of his biggest hits.

Read More: Nelly’s “Hot In Herre” Used To Diss Donald Trump During DNC: Watch

Gavin Newsom Has Repeatedly Referenced K. Dot

Gavin Newsom has a long history of praising and aligning himself with Kendrick Lamar. At least, when it comes to the music. He quoted the Compton rapper when he was elected Governor of California back in 2018. “You know, that great California poet by the name of Kendrick Lamar,” he said during his victory speech. “He once said, ‘Be humble.’” The line, of course, being a reference to Dot’s smash 2017 single “Humble.” More recently, Gavin Newsom used Lamar as an example of the talent that comes from the Golden State. He noted that California is a place where musical artists as disparate as Kendrick Lamar and Metallica can find success during a June 2024 speech.

Kendrick Lamar has not reciprocated the love. The Compton rapper has not commented on Gavin Newsom or Kamala Harris. Despite this reluctance to endorse a political figure, politicians continue to line up to award Lamar. California State Senator Isadore Hall III awarded Lamar the mantle of district “Generational Icon” in 2015. The award was meant to signify the massive impact that the rapper has made on the West Coast and Compton in particular.

Read More: DJ Akademiks Argues Kendrick Lamar & J Cole Never Had A “Stimulus Package” Like Drake

The post Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Plays During Gavin Newsom’s DNC Speech appeared first on HotNewHipHop.