Photo Credit: Spotify
Ahead of his Super Bowl halftime performance, and amid his beef with Drake, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” crosses 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping diss track, “Not Like Us,” has crossed 1 billion streams on Spotify — less than a year since its release. The timing couldn’t be better for Ken, who is less than a week from performing the Super Bowl halftime show. There, he intends to play the hit song, despite pressure to the contrary.
“Not Like Us” is one of several diss tracks Lamar dropped as part of his ongoing beef with Drake. Not only was the song one of the biggest hits of 2024, but it’s now at the center of a defamation lawsuit from Drake against Universal Music Group.
The parent label of both artists, UMG is accused of launching a campaign to create a viral hit out of the track, intended to push the “false factual allegation” that Drake is a pedophile. UMG has discounted the lawsuit as “ridiculous.”
Drake’s lawsuit initially launched as a petition back in November, which included not only UMG, but Spotify and iHeartRadio. But the latter companies were omitted as co-defendants ahead of the escalation into a lawsuit.
As a result of the legal kerfuffle, DMN sources indicated things would escalate for UMG should the NFL not prevent Kendrick Lamar from playing “Not Like Us” during the halftime performance. But between Lamar’s camp indicating he was going to play it anyway, and a promo from the NFL featuring the song, it’s become apparent that K. Dot is undeterred. And why not? He’s not the one facing a defamation lawsuit.
After the NFL teaser confirming “Not Like Us” would be played at the Super Bowl, Drake posted an uplifting message for his followers on his Instagram Story. Notably, the message does not react to the ad or mention Lamar whatsoever.
“Love to all the 6’ers,” he wrote. “Winter months are the toughest. Shit can be depressing, so take care of yourselves and try [to] show love to each other.” Drake added he would be “back in a flash,” and teased his upcoming joint album with fellow Canadian artist, PartyNextDoor.