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

BYGabriel Bras Nevares6.9K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
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 music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
...