More and more clips are emerging of Kendrick Lamar's time in Compton to shoot the "Not Like Us" music video, and they're making fans even more hyped up. He and his security detail arrived at Compton's City Hall to film another part of the visual treatment, and it's unclear whether or not the shoot will continue this weekend or if they already got everything. Either way, we can't remember the last time there was this much hype around a music video, but we're glad to see it. Probably should've dropped it earlier in the song's hype cycle, but we're not complaining about the tardiness.
Furthermore, this also lines up with Kendrick Lamar's "The Pop Out," the Juneteenth L.A. show that has some people feeling mind-blown and others acting underwhelmed. For one, DJ Akademiks recently shared his opinion that both Drake and J. Cole have put on better concerts and multi-artist events in their cities than K.Dot. Given how different each show's lineup, context, and intent is, it's not really a shocker to claim any of them as your favorite or as the most significant one. Still, it feels like most folks just can't find a balance between praising this as one of the greatest recent hip-hop moments or as a complete embarrassment and failure; it's not that deep.
Kendrick Lamar Takes "Not Like Us" To Compton City Hall
In addition, Kendrick Lamar's alleged entourage has also provided some interesting insights and occasional tea-spilling when it comes to some narratives around his moves. For example, an alleged close friend spoke out against The Game and his statement on why he didn't attend "The Pop Out." The friend suggested that the Los Angeles MC displayed some disrespect and "had to choose his words carefully." It's all a mystery and very vague, but it will fade in time.
Meanwhile, the increased security presence at this music video shoot also caused some backlash, for reasons unknown to anyone with common sense. Whether or not Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" music video is a hit or a dud, it will probably (and hopefully) mark the end of his battle with Drake. Maybe things flare up again with a second match in the future, or there's more to tussle over. But it seems unlikely that the Toronto superstar will bother to concern himself with this, and we hope both opponents move on already.
