CNN
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Kendrick Lamar turned the visual of his Drake diss track into a family affair.
The prolific rapper dropped his “Not Like Us” music video on July 4 and it included some very important people to him.
The song is part of what has become a very public feud between Lamar and Drake.
Not only is there a scene featuring his fiancée Whitney Alford and their two young children, but Lamar is also seen surrounded by a crowd of his fans who can be heard rapping along with him on his hit.
Directed by the rapper along with Dave Free, it features cameos from several celebs associated with the West Coast, which is beloved by Lamar, a Compton native. They include NBA player DeMar DeRozan, who is also from Compton, and Tommy the Clown, known as the inventor of the krumping style of dance associated with the left coast.
In the music video, Lamar offers multiple visual nods to Drake and his career including owls, which is the bird Drake uses for his OVO label.
The video has been eagerly awaited especially by those who have followed the recent, fast and furious rap battle between Lamar and Drake.
Both rappers, who are former collaborators, released multiple diss tracks, with “Not Like Us” becoming the most successful.
Early on in the video, Lamar is seen doing push ups. Many believe it’s a reference to Drake’s single “Push Ups,” which was a response to Lamar’s diss of him on the single, “Like That,” by Metro Boomin and Future.
Even including his longtime love, Alford, and their children appears to be a nod to Drake’s song, “Family Matters,” in which Drake implied that Alford had cheated on Lamar. In his music video, Lamar and his family dance joyously and seemingly unbothered.
“Not Like Us” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 when it was released in May, according to Billboard and has been declared the “song of the summer” by many.
Last month, Lamar performed the song five times at “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends” show, a Juneteenth concert that was livestreamed on Twitch by Amazon Music.
