All the Drake Easter Eggs in Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Video

Tam’s Burgers, featured in K. Dot’s “Not Like Us” video, has reportedly received a 30-40% increase in sales at their Compton location since the video dropped 🍔 In other news today:

• Billboard Hot 100 📈 

• Ye said he’s retiring from music 😳 

• 6 of Kendrick’s diabolical Drake disses in “Not Like Us” video 😂 

• Industry Insights 🔎 

Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

There were no new entries this week; “Like That” stayed at #14 for the third consecutive week, and “Houdini” and “Not Like Us” held their spot for the second consecutive week. “Million Dollar Baby” rises from #6 to #5, and GloRilla’s “Wanna Be” jumps four spots to #22.

The Real Reason Ye Said He’s Retiring From Music

“Not sure what else to do,” Ye said defeatedly in a text to Rich The Kid on Tuesday, July 9, after revealing that he’s retiring from his professional music career. Rich immediately voiced what Ye fans everywhere were thinking, “Retire? Why? How? The people NEED you.”

Fans' reactions ranged from “this means Ye’s last song was ‘yo dot I got you,’” referring to Ye’s “Like That” remix, which was never officially released, to “this means we’re never getting Vultures 2” and “GTA 6 before Vultures 2.”

The last update on Vultures 2 before Ye’s retirement announcement was Ty Dolla $ign, saying the album is practically finished and could drop any day now. Still, they’re figuring out the logistics and distribution, which is more of Ye’s responsibility.

Why did Ye say he was retiring?

The good news is that it appears Ye’s retirement was a marketing move for Rich The Kid’s upcoming album, Life’s A Gamble, set to drop on July 19. A few hours after Rich posted the IG story with the screenshot of Ye’s text saying he’s retiring, Rich posted the tracklist for his album. 

Ye has three features: the previously released “Gimme A Second 2” and “Carnival” (Ty Dolla $ign is on both) and the unreleased “Plain Jane,” which is a solo Ye feature. Rich didn’t confirm or deny the bait-and-switch promotional tactic, but he reposted the below @bars post on his story.

The bad news is that Ye’s features are the only new music he’s guaranteed to release soon. Even if he was in on the retirement joke, waiting for Vultures 2 has been like waiting for LeBron James to retire—useless and disappointing.

6 of Kendrick’s Diabolical Drake Disses in “Not Like Us” Video

Kendrick Lamar has made haters in every corner of the internet realize they’re not hating to their full potential. You thought “The Pop Out” show was Drake’s funeral? That was the wake because the “Not Like Us” video dropped, and just when you thought Kendrick couldn’t possibly bury Drake further—he does. 

X user @but_im_kim_tran said it best, “Never teaching my kids to ‘rise above.’ Going to teach them to be like Kendrick Lamar. If you’re going to hate, you must commit. Employ visuals. Enlist your neighborhood. Call the NBA. Don’t sleep until everyone is dancing and laughing with you.”

Following up his “The Pop Out” performance on Juneteenth (celebrating the day slaves were freed), Kendrick dropped “Not Like Us” on July 4th, calling Drake a colonizer on Independence Day. 

That symbolism is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the diabolical ways Kendrick used the video to taunt Drake.

The thing about Kendrick’s genius is that he leaves nothing for random but everything for interpretation. We know he’s calculated, mischievously planting easter eggs, but he leaves the fun of decoding their meaning and intent up to the audience. 

We’re breaking down the six most menacing Drake references in the “Not Like Us” music video and their potential meaning below.

Owl Pinata

The most obvious OVO reference is the owl-shaped pinata that Dot fucks up synced perfectly to the artistic camera angle switches of “wop, wop, wop, wop, wop.” Pinatas are also a common activity at kids' birthday parties, and the owl, as a bird, is a predator. More on the symbolism of the owl later.

17 Push-Ups & TDE Unity

Drake’s first diss track, “Push-Ups,” asked Kendrick to drop and give him 50. It was a double entendre to the allegation that Kendrick had to give a 50/50 split to his former label, TDE, when he left. Kendrick drops and gives Drake 17 push-ups in a room that resembles “cell block one.” 

Fans on social media have joked that Kendrick only did 17 because Drake doesn’t like anything over 18 (playing into the minot allegations), but 17 could also represent the number of Grammys Kendrick has (remember Drake’s line “Kendrick just opened his mouth, someone go give him a Grammy right now”?). Either way, the push-ups are mocking Drake. 

Later in the video, Kendrick appears alongside TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg,” alongside the original TDE members, including Black Hippy (Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and ScHoolboy Q), dispelling Drake’s claims that they have bad blood.

“Hide yo little sister from him”

In the same prison cell scene, Kendrick subtly mimics a TikTok dance Drake did with a young girl who seems to be a fan’s little sister. Naturally, the hang signals happen as he says the line, “To any bitch that talk to him and they in love, just make sure you hide your little sister from him.”

Like many references in the video, It’s so subtle yet specific, making it hard to deny but not obvious enough to prove Kendrick’s intent.

Hop-Scotch

Kendrick employs a double-entendre visual in the hopscotch scene. Another common children's activity, playing hopscotch during the a-minoooor bar is maniacal and hilarious, but it doesn’t stop there.

Kendrick’s fit pays homage to skateboarder Jamal Smith's infamous “whack” meme. “His hair, whack, his gear, whack, his jewelry, whack, his foot stance, whack…” says Smith in the viral video, which was originally made by Thrasher magazine to promote a skateboarding competition.

The symbolism might tie back to Kendrick’s diss track “euphoria” during which he rattles off things he hates about Drake in a similar fashion to Smith or simply signify that he thinks Drake is whack.

Family Matters

The final nail in Drake’s “Family Matters” coffin is the scene of Kendrick and his family. In the first shot, Kendrick stands behind his son, Enoch, highlighting their resemblance. Drake alleged that Dave Free is the real father of Enoch and Kendrick has a strained relationship with Whitney.

Couple with “Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar” in large font at the end of the video, the adultery claims have lost all credibility. Whitney is gleefully dancing (on Drake’s grave) in a wife-beater tank top, potentially combatting Drake’s other allegations that Kendrick once laid hands on his partner.

Caged Owl

The owl returns at the end of the video in a cage, potentially representing how Kendrick silenced Drake, or predators should be behind bars. Drake fans will say the following interpretation is a reach, but again, Kendrick does everything with intent.

The first shot is from the owl's perspective, and you can’t see the bars in the cage. The perspective shifts to Kendrick’s POV, and the owl is caged, staring back at him. Kendrick banked five diss tracks to use against Drake and rolled four of them out within a week. The perspective may symbolize that Drake never stood a chance, and Kendrick knew this.

• Is Drake’s next move house music? Members of the German electronic label Keinemusik teased a new collaboration with the boy having previously worked with him on Honestly, Nevermind.

• Pusha T was named the newest ambassador for Louis Vuitton. Joining longtime collaborator and LV Men’s Creative Director Pharrell Williams, Pusha asked, “Is this checkmate?”

• YNW Melly finally gets a new trial date after several delays. The Florida native has been jailed since his arrest in 2019 and will have spent over six years behind bars before the retrial.

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