Sorry, but Kendrick Lamar is “Not Like Us” either
Compton may forget, but the North remembers.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Kendrick Lamar is “Not Like Us” either. As the buzz of his highly anticipated performance dies down, it’s time to reflect on the times when he has proven that he is *ahem* not like us. Three career-defining moments show us this, and one of them was at the show that many are praising.
Just before Kendrick Lamar went on his 6-peat (no surprise there) of playing “Not Like Us,” Lamar was introduced by none other than Dr. Dre. While most know him as the iconic rapper and producer who was ⅕ of NWA, others know him differently. According to TheGrio, “Dr. Dre is a musical genius who forced hip-hop to stretch its geographical boundaries across the country. In doing so, he opened up the entire country and globe to contribute its unique sounds, to be more than provincial. He made music that was honest about the violence from his era.” Yet, to some, there’s a dark side to Dre, whose real name is Andre Young.
Young has three allegations of documented abuse. Firstly, Michel’le revealed in countless interviews that Young beat her. Young denies these allegations, according to HuffPost, but he still issued a 2015 apology to “the women I’ve hurt” without explicitly naming Michel’le. However, she is not the only romantic partner to accuse Young of this behavior.
Young was also accused of abuse by ex-wife Nicole Young, who accused him of holding a gun to her head twice, a People Magazine article reported. Yet, Young’s alleged abuse was not limited to romantic partners. In a third accusation, he beat journalist Dee Barnes for allegedly stoking flames of hatred between NWA and Ice Cube. Barnes has been candid about the impact the abuse has had on her career, stifling her growth as a Hip Hop journalist. For Young, he has been seemingly rewarded for his abusive behavior.
Just last year, the Grammys erected an award in his honor. For his victims like Dee Barnes, they are subjected to making GoFundMe campaigns to survive. So, why align yourself with the mogul? Young had an impact on Compton, and Lamar’s performance sought to highlight Lamar’s similar impact on the city. Nonetheless, that doesn’t excuse Young’s documented history of abuse nor does it fit well with the message of exposing abusers.
And Baka got a weird case, why is he around?
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles
On the “Not Like Us” record, Lamar alleges that Drake and his crew are full of abusers, yet Lamar used an abuser to introduce the song on a big stage. As a victim of sexual abuse, it feels disingenuous – especially looking at his previous album, which had Kodak Black all over it.
Alas, these were not the only times the self-proclaimed Messiah fell short. The aforementioned album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, also included a track called “Auntie Diaries.” In this song, Lamar misgendered his trans uncle and repeatedly employed the “f” slur to “prove a point,” his fans argue. Yet, with the wave of anti-trans legislation and an anti-gay sentiment looming in society, the song did nothing more than give a Cishet man an outlet to be homophobic. Lyrics like “my auntie is a man now” did not promote trans rights.
Lamar’s older lyrics are questionable too. His track “The Blacker the Berry” features a line where he compares gang violence to hate crimes. In the line, he calls himself a hypocrite because he wept for Trayvon Martin, yet he would kill a man Blacker than he is. On the surface, these may seem equivalent, but Martin was killed by a racist neighborhood watchman who was later acquitted by a racist jury. This would be the same racist jury that would convict a Black man without hesitation had he committed the same crime to a white boy.
Until Lamar starts donating proceeds to victims instead of doing one-ups on stage, the song feels like an empty shot in the dark.
These crimes have the same root cause, but they are in no way equivalent. Also, Black on Black crime is not a real thing, unless you also condemn white-on-white crime, or brown-on-brown crime. The reality is that most crimes are intraracial. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Statistics found that a majority of most violent crimes are committed by people who are the same race as their victims.” Moreover, the idea that “Black people commit more murders” (a white supremacist myth), has been debunked as well.
The National Registry of Exoneration noted that in 2024, they “recorded 153 exonerations last year, and nearly 84% (127/153) were people of color.” This information, which is easily accessible to an average civilian is surely accessible to someone of Lamar’s stature. However, that would mean he couldn’t get off his moot talking point.
Now, don’t get me wrong. “Not Like Us” is a bop worthy of praise, but within that praise, there should be critique. Until Lamar starts donating proceeds to victims instead of doing one-ups on stage, the song feels like an empty shot in the dark.
About This Rwebel
Javanna is a multifaceted professional with a rich background in writing, education, and media. She holds a Master of Science in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in English, which has fueled her passion for storytelling and communication. Javanna is the CEO and founder of Rwebel, where she produces books, articles, and multimedia videos about culture and difference.
