Kendrick Lamar Gets A New Mural In Compton

BYGabriel Bras Nevares4.1K Views
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Coca-Cola Music Mix at the NCAA March Madness Music Festival - Day 2
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 02: Recording artist Kendrick Lamar performs on stage during the Coca-Cola Music Mix at the NCAA March Madness Music Festival Day 2 at Discovery Green on April 2, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Turner)
A new mural in Kendrick Lamar's home turf depicts his 2023 Best Rap Album win at the Grammys and receiving the Key to the City.

Some folks may already be feeling "Not Like Us" fatigue, but that certainly isn't the case in Kendrick Lamar's hometown of Compton, Los Angeles, California. The city has always been proud of K.Dot and vice versa, and with a stellar year for him so far, it's only natural that Compton's artists would want to pay tribute. Moreover, a new mural dedicated to the former TDE lyricist recently made some waves online, which depicts him receiving the Key to the City of Compton in 2016 on one side of a portrait and him winning the Best Rap Album award at the 2023 Grammys for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers on the other.

As far as rap artists, though, many of them have commented on Kendrick Lamar's explosive beef with Drake, with the latest take coming from Latto in a new interview. "I ain’t going to lie: I liked it!" she remarked. "I liked the back-and-forth, I thought it was healthy for the culture. It just felt nostalgic. I don’t think our generation has even seen a rivalry like that, I f***ed with it. I feel like it’s two n***as that’s killing this s**t and they both so talented, and they both on they high horse flexing their talent and capabilities. They both still that n***as, they both still the GOAT. That s**t fire for the culture."

Kendrick Lamar's New Compton Mural

Even rock bands are joining the praise of Kendrick Lamar and Drake, although one of these MCs definitely has gotten it in more of a backhanded manner. For example, the Red Hot Chili Peppers recently did some shows in Toronto. As a thank-you message to their fans in the city on Instagram, they posted a picture of Kendrick waving goodbye in the "Not Like Us" music video. Pretty cheeky, no?

Meanwhile, there's even a "Not Like Us" video game out now, so pretty much every corner of pop culture seems to be loving Kendrick Lamar right now. We can't blame them; we just wish that we would get more music outside of this whole Drake thing. If all is fair and just, then both MCs would drop even better material later this year that has nothing to do with each other. Both of their cities and fanbases are ready for it, and they deserve to be great without it being at the other's expense.

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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