Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" Video Skyrockets As LA Library Jokes About "Retiring" Owls

BYGabriel Bras Nevares3.5K Views
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The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Inside
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 01: Kendrick Lamar attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
The Los Angeles Public Library uses an owl puppet mascot for their kids' programming, but Kendrick Lamar might change their minds.

Kendrick Lamar struck gold with his "Not Like Us" music video, which continues to rack up millions of more views after its initial massive launch. For those curious, the visuals are currently sitting at around 24 and a half million views as of writing this article, and fans are still breaking it all down. But who know that K.Dot whacking an OVO owl piñata in the video, one of his many trolls against Drake, would even get the shushing librarians involved? Moreover, the Los Angeles Public Library recently joked on its TikTok page that they might retire their owl puppet mascot as a result.

Furthermore, this puppet was one that the library used for children's programming, which makes the "Certified PDF-file" bar on "Not Like Us" sting even more. It's all probably just a joke, as this owl was a part of the L.A. public library long before Kendrick Lamar and Drake started trading diss tracks. But as fans continue to theorize on what potential album hints there are in the music video, it broke records and captivated so much of the culture. It broke the record for the most views for a rap video within 24 hours this year, and we're sure it stacks up to other viral visual treatments over the past few years, as well.

The Los Angeles Public Library (Cheekily) Stands With Kendrick Lamar

In addition to this, there were plenty of other details and jabs in the "Not Like Us" music video for fans to take note of. One of the main angles is that of Dave Free co-directing this with Kendrick Lamar, as the duo stands tall against Drake's claims that there's friction. Specifically, on tracks like "Family Matters" and "The Heart Part 6," Drizzy claims that the Compton lyricist's son with his partner is actually Free's. Speaking of which...

"Not Like Us" Music Video Is Hitting Big

Whitney Alford and her kids with Kendrick Lamar also popped out to show Drake that perhaps his accusals of Kendrick are moot. Of course, we don't really know what's real or what's not behind the scenes, but that's true for all the attacks during the battle. We'll see what other legs the "Not Like Us" video grows in its successful and astonishing path. What we'll also see is whether or not more entities, particularly in Los Angeles, start looking at owls a little differently.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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