Kendrick didn’t just respond—he detonated. “Not Like Us,” from his sixth studio album To Pimp a Mastermind, hit TikTok like a meteor. Within hours, it wasn’t just rap fans dissecting the bars—dance creators, meme pages, and casual users were looping the hook. Over a DJ Mustard beat that sounds like pure LA summer, Kendrick fires shots that feel both brutal and fun.
The song is full of West Coast swagger—bouncy, sharp, and cocky in all the right ways. But it’s the tone that makes it unforgettable: Kendrick isn’t mad, he’s having a blast. The beat hits hard, the bars sting, and the “they not like us!” ad-libs have turned into a TikTok anthem, fueling endless dance videos, memes, and gym montages.
“Not Like Us” exploded in the middle of Kendrick’s long-simmering beef with Drake, which finally boiled over in 2025. While Drake’s responses sounded tense and defensive, Kendrick kept it light, clever, and deadly. He didn’t just win the battle—he made it look easy, and the internet ran with it.
In the bigger picture, To Pimp a Mastermind shows Kendrick at a new place in his career. Albums like To Pimp a Butterfly and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers were deep, heavy, and full of self-reflection. Here, Kendrick sounds free. It’s clear he knows exactly who he is now—and he’s having fun showing it.
The music video for “Not Like Us” doubled down on the celebration: it’s packed with Compton landmarks, lowriders, block parties, and Kendrick surrounded by real people from his hometown. It feels less like a diss video and more like a victory parade, but the shots at Drake are still everywhere if you’re paying attention.
At the end of the day, “Not Like Us” isn’t just a diss track—it’s a cultural moment. Kendrick proved again that when it’s time to take over, nobody does it better. And TikTok hasn’t stopped spinning it since.