The strangest moment in pop culture history? “Not like us” by Kendrick Lamar Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 4 май 2024
- Futher thoughts on Colonialism ADDENDUM to the END of the video- • Addendum to “Not Like ...
Justin Hunte's Better than-this-video - • Kendrick Lamar "Not Li...
The Monty Python sketch (a different one) - • What Have The Romans..... 
Видеоклипы
I nuanced my colonialism thoughts in this little addendum. Please watch if you correctly identified something whack in what I said in the video. ruclips.net/video/9TZ2491D6vY/видео.html
"They" vs "us" has many meanings. But making it a catchy mainstream sounding song, that has a chant-able hook, PLUS the uncomfortable subject matter can make the "They" = PDF files & groomers. And the " US" = you, the listener that DOESN'T align themselves with such vileness.....
He basically told all the other kids on the playground that Aubrey has cooties, so no one else will want to be around him!
Drake and his colonizing army of writers just dropped "The Heart part 6" minutes ago and he calls himself a decorated general like an Imperialist, insinuates fame is a buffer placing him above the perversion of pedophilia, and his status grants him "immunity" from crime(much like Trump) and says he set Kendrick up using baited CIA style espionage... you might have to pull several all-nighters to get through this week ...you should do a video IN YOUR CLASS with YOUR Students....your commentary is just as fun as the round for round releases....Kendrick will undoubtedly respond before dawn LOL
Tbh I think it's clear that you don't know what you're talking about
ADDENDUM: ...to your (Kdot=A.Cooper) and (Drake=Trump) video. NOW that these "microwave Hot Pocket diss" records are spreading like wildfire into the B.J. Fogg "Persuasive Technology" x Tristan Harris "Inhumane" Algorithms, and polarized division is invading calloused dopamine overloaded binary obese minds like civil war juice, it feels "sadly" more like a (KDot=Biden) vs. Drake=Trump) "Who will be elected the next Pop Rap President?" campaign. Is that reflective of how burnt people are now? No Trump. No Diddy. Fans are dialing in votes on social media. Akademiks debates hours about who is LYING LESS Drake or KDot, DJ VLAD (a FOX culture vulture) threatens a Black Princeton Professor, Crips crip walk to a song about an alleged pedophile, while fans boo Drake records in dark smoky clubs. Is this not JUST ALL politics with BEATS now? But like Trump, Drake is NOW what America is: Gluttonous, Envious, War Mongering, Criminal, Angry, Prideful, Evasive, Unjust, Drake stating he is ABOVE the law, Xerxes, and beyond cultural justice... his FAME and MONEY ARE his defense, like Trump, Epstein, and Diddy... billionaires pretend like raids never happened. Drake has made gaslighting casual, its illegal to be unpopular, short, defend black issues, or have soul, Drake has stolen documents, groped women (maybe little girls), declared infinite immunity, declared that he will never leave office! DRAKE HAS reached TruthSocial "Make Akademiks (Academics) GREAT Again" Fascist status by implying THIS is not an emotional rap beef that you can vote on with ARTISTIC responses that DJs and Democracitic barbershop and beauty shop debates. Drake wants it to be a 100% factual colonial war that you CANNOT dance to unless HE WINS. Like all Colonizers and ENTITLED politicians, like England, like Zionist Israel, Drake (backed by Zionists) will NEVER accept Defeat even though KDot is ahead in the polls in the streets. He will forever buy his defense. So now the debates are political? DRAKE will partner with Trump and 50 Cent and create a JAN 6 moment. THEN he will criticize Jan 6. Hearings. Does Drake have a Clarence Thomas (50 Cent) in his pocket? Did Drake commit these oppressive sex crimes against humanity (Hip Hop) = (English Imperialist oppressors Corporate CULTURE) and Will Kendrick free human digital slaves to be human = (American revolutionaries = Hip Hop CULTURE). The real Presidential Election is still going on too.
@@helenm6754i can very much tell you he exactly knows what he is talking about. So watch the video or evaporate
"Ya'll don't wanna hear me. You just wanna dance." -Andre 3000
°~flute solo~°
So true
That part
Almost… but you still get the point across.
Their most successful song by the way, the irony writes itself.
Wait till the proff finds out who Stockton used to pass the ball to.
The dead body?
@@shakealhuggins4387 Google Karl Malone
@@shakealhuggins4387Karl Malone
Karl Malone
@@shakealhuggins4387 Stockton's teammate, Malone, had a big scandal with an underaged person when he was in college...
The biggest mistake on Drake's part is picking a beef with someone who is self-aware AND literate.
You’d think he would have learned his lesson from Pusha T but his coping mechanisms are too powerful to learn anything. Like a teenager.
@@p90bridge Drake severely lacks comprehension. He said it himself too! He doesn’t understand Kendrick’s entendres. I mean….bet.
Lol that’s what I’ve been trying to tell anyone who tries to start mess with me. 😅
The craziest part of this to me is after meet the grahams Drake fans were trying to downplay it by saying nothing Kendrick releases has any replay value/catchy tunes. Then Kendrick drops a whole summer/westcoast anthem with memorable bars plus a history lesson. I’m glad I got to see it in real time 🔥
I never understood that. His whole catalog has replay value for me.. with nuance. Why do you have to bop is a rap battle. MTG was the kill shot...Not Like Us was the victory lap.
@@jefferycoleman1257 I know it’s goofy none of the disses before would ever be played in clubs. All that talk just made him a pioneer 😂
Lamar uses this song to monopolize and colonize Drake’s land, the night club.
🤔ok! Nice take
That doesn’t belong to Drake that’s Future’s and the rest of the rappers Kenny mentioned from the A but hey…
@@SurtaPhyde thank you thank you it’s been a long time coming, finally got a w thank you thank you
@@brickbybricksbudgets right, my bad. Drake is only a settler there.
im dying man
Kendrick was replying to Drake attempting to insult Kendrick by saying he raps like he’s “trying to free the slaves.”
Kendrick flipped the message, reinterpreting it as Drake calling the listeners slaves, while reiterating that insofar as they are still slaves in some sense, he _is trying to free them,_ especially those Drake manipulates in Atlanta.
This won’t be his first time trying to make a bar out of slavery
While simultaneously dropping this and the family matter bar to ensure folks knew he JUST wrote this banger of a track, in case anyone thought it was preloaded , genius
@@PrecYsely That, and he held the “A Minor” bit to mirror Drake’s accusation that one of Kendrick’s friends is the real father of one of his children.
If this academic needs this explained to him then he’s too removed from the cultural discourse to be showing up in the algorithm as much as he does. He’s a tourist and his school degrees can’t change that.
@@jakestroll6518 good point
People went from saying "Pause" to "No Diddy" and now it's "No Drizzy" all in less than 2 months. The internet definitely helps shape the Culture and move it forward
IM GOING IIIIIIIIN
Diddy is so glad at this beef. His heat us dying down.
Kdot called baka a pedo for his case that involved him pimping out a 22 yr old. Kdot fans eating literal shit out of his palms. Kdot got exposed but the jealous anti white culture would never let kdot lose against Drake, no matter how cringe, corny, and wrong kdot is
@@beewest5704 hes still in court for sex trafficking I don't think public opinion is his greatest worry rn
The internet is undefeated 🤣 😂
Oh Wow, man. Just seeing this. Thank you for the shout. Would love to collaborate on this conversation. Big fan of your insight.
And thank you for your great work.
This is like a real personal more fucked-up and advanced version of swimming pools in a way.
People partying on a song about how alcohol destroys people and now a song about sexual predators playing in clubs where you might find the same people Kendrick's calling out in real time. Absolutely crazy.
they're also both meant to veil, however thickly/thinly, a dangerous side in celebration, while goading it; i can see someone being a bit more aware of the act of drinking when drinking to swimming pools, and more wary of predators while having a night out
@@threehotdogs wow that is interesting
Glad you picked up on this as well. I recognized Kendrick would be my favorite artist back when swimming pools came out and I was at the bar, drunk, and the song played and sobered me up instantly. Changed my whole life trajectory in drinking. While in the bar.
@@threehotdogsdeep af
This is a perfect way to interpret the song
The verse ending with Kendrick calling Drake a coloniser was truly amazing. Just jaw dropping.
People have always called Drake a culture vulture but colonizer is funnier lol
The rhyme scheme will go down as one of the best
Funny thing is, the supposed mastermind Drake, really made this happen by making this dumb line about “getting the slave freed”
He set himself up. But I bet he predicted that one too.
@@Ange-Cedric531😂😂 drake’s playing 3 dimensional chess badly on purpose 😂
@@Ange-Cedric531he’s six steps ahead of you but also 12 steps behind
A Minor is also the chord played with only white keys of the piano ... layers on Kdot's lyrics. LAAAAAAYERS.
I totally forgot about the scale. . . .chile, I was thinking he was referring to pedobears and nem.
@@terracottawellness1561 He was! It's a double entendre
I think it's an R-kelly reference too(songs in A minor)
Nah thats a reach fam
white keys...white kids?!
21:21 Fanfano solidified this point in my mind, when he was reacting to the "A minorrrrrrrrrrrr" line: Kendrick is basically removing music options from Drake at this point. Is his next album going to have only used major, diminished, or 7th chords, lest the crowd reply with "Sounds like A minorrrrrrrrrrrr"? The systematic alienating of Drake from his support networks is diabolical genius.
The John Stockton verse has layers. He was all time assist leader in bball and played with Karl Malone who got a 13 yr old pregnant when he was 20. Kung fu Kenny
This should be pinned
🎉
Not only that, he later says he has 10 more songs in stock. Stock-ten. Absolute genius.
Stockton was also short (for a basketball player), significantly shorter than Malone just as Kendrick is shorter than Drake. And as the assist leader, he's not as famous as his skill might suggest because he wasn't scoring as many points/hits. As in maybe Drake/Malone gets a lot of baskets but Kendrick/Stockton is the one with the real skill and breadth of game.
On the other hand, Stockon white and Malone black, so maybe not every possible layer...
oh and just saw another comment that Drake is neighbors with Malone and had pics buddying up with him on ig.
Imma do my stuff is LA slang more than Kendrick dumbing down. On Not Like Us he's rapping in a very specific regional dialect of Southern California, saying amberlambs instead of ambelance is another example of that dialect. It's him speaking directly to the "Us" of his own Foundational Black American sub culture in LA, using his native languages he's driving the point that Drake is an outsider.
Hell yeah Like when he said fuck em all and they mama’s that’s some la shit fasho he called drake a bitch also lol multiple times told em they will get a wedgie and flip out of they boxers and flipping ovo to ovhoe man he damn there gangbanging on they ass lmao
Nailed it.
Artists from Compton is what my white ass grew up on (I’m old) & this shit brought back core fvcking memories. He nails the energy & everything. & that music was educating well-meaning dumbasses like me on real life. Drake could never.
Thanks for analyzing this.
Really excellent comment
Yes definitely. I myself am a native closeby to Compton so the moreso why I absolutely love this track 🔥
You missed how great the Sweet Chin Music reference is. I didn’t get it either but a WWE fan explained to me that that is the signature move of Shawn Michaels who famously had a real life and in the ring beef with Brett Hart which culminated in Shawn Michaels going off script in a prime time match in Canada and humiliating Hart in front of his hometown fans.
👍🏽
Montreal Screwjob yup
I thought it was maybe Kendrick’s or someone else’s song 😂 I actually looked it up to find this out lol
Montreal Screwjob
Holy shit
For me, meet the grahams is so heavy and intense it feels like watching something horrible, terrible, spine chilling. It's incredible to feel that from a rap diss track and I love every time I hear it. Weird comparison would be twin peaks the return episode 8. It's just horrifying to witness and makes you feel so uneasy.
You should listen to "Dance with the Devil" by Immortal Technique.
I think the primary goal of this song was to create a reason for the message of Meet the Grahams to be spread and replayed on a mainstream scale. This song has already been played in clubs, it has audience participation chants, etc. It's making inseparable the concepts of Drake/OVO and the allegations in pop culture.
If you are publicly a fan of Drake, you can no longer avoid addressing this part of his image. You are implicitly pardoning his crimes by listening to his music. If there is any way to actually effectively take down Drake, it's to make it uncool to listen to him
I saw a video of Drake's diss track being booed in a club lmao 😂
@@RUclips_is_Trash yea he's cooked
facts but I rly think what ended drake was dots rebuttal to the slave line. now drake just cheddar bobbed himself from the hip hop community.
*crimes = allegations. I'm not defending drake btw I think Kendrick has won this
@@Deleteyourself83 Even if none of it is true (unlikely, but you know) Drake put himself into a situation where these accusations will hang over him for the rest of his career. Kendrick did the smart thing and packaged his accusations into listenable and impactful songs, while Drake's response is a sleepy monologue on a boring trap beat. He also didn't do much to deny the allegations besides saying "um no", so it'll be difficult to claw back.
It does remain to be seen if this actually impacts Drake's career, but people won't forget about it. Adidon was a lot less of a story in comparison and people bring it up under any image of Drake with Adonis.
AVAA! I think the "69 god" bit is a reference to the rapper 6ix9ine, who had to plead guilty to avoid registering as a sex offender
it's also a play on drake calling himself the 6 god (the 6 being toronto)
and bc he's a freak that likes little girls and fetishizing black women
This ^^^ to add with the pdf file allegations too
Ding Ding Ding, and its deeper that
Nah that’s not what it’s about
@bertobertoberto3 wait, it's not? What does it stand for then
Kendrick Lamar went from
From Pimp A Butterly To Catch a Predator
"I am not of the culture, I'm just observing the culture" bars.
I agree about this analysis. Kendrick approached this whole beef as he would approach an album. Building a world, a narrative. Euphoria was lole an introduction and a warning, but he was preparing us for something bigger, subtly. Then he tried to wash his conscience by confessing and maybe even justifying himself and explaining that he's very spiritual but sometimes you can't avoid war. Then he gave a very sad picture of Drake's character and how people like him are dangers to society, and he showed it was taking it very seriously. Then the latest track, the entertaining part of the book.
He can't help it. He's a sociologist as much as he is a galaxy-brained artist. (Meant in he best way.)
@@erica_em I agree, and when he said Kendrick is a mega genius, it's so true. I also admire the strategic aspect of it, I play chess and I'm fascinated by how he baited Drake into all of this. When you look at the whole picture, I'm impressed by the execution, at a micro level (in each track), and a macro level (the whole set of tracks).
Wack
A cleaver narrative but the problem is a lot of what he says is fabrication lying and manipulation of half truths and falsities on his own part though. Also his position as some kid of moral authority is highly questionable given all the facts he already mentioned on his own album, the company he keeps in real life and the fact he targets an 8yr old boy with a monologue about his dad being a Weinstein level paedophile that deserves death with absolutely 0 evidence.
@danielandresmeneses
stay mad ol boy
You understand enough to be included amongst the us. It's not about color, it's about respect and understanding the culture.
Spot on, crazy how so many miss this, it was never about race, it’s about culture
Yup. Michael Jackson was black but he was never us
@@idkwhybut... nah
@@KaylaMarie_yeah like wtf he talking about? 😂😂
@@KaylaMarie_ You call Michael Race-Changer Jackson "us". No one claims him
Interesting analysis and breakdown.
RE: your final point-It seems to me the issue in the Atlanta/colonizer section is not about trying to remove decision making power and agency from Future and Lil Baby and the others in their interactions with Drake. They’re all grown men who probably signed contracts (and were compensated handsomely, presumably).
The issue seems to me to be more about Drake not fully understanding his positionality as a colonizer in these transactions, a cultural guest. He wants the spiritual credit usually reserved for the stylistic originator, but of course the culture is not inclined to give him that. Not to say Drake isn’t plenty admired by a lot of people.
There’s an FD Signifier video on Drake’s effect on hip hop that I watched this weekend in an effort to put all this together. FD describes Drake’s reaction to finding out about the text message that Macklemore sent to Kendrick after Macklemore won the Grammy that year. Drake’s response goes a long way toward illustrating what he feels he’s owed that he’s not getting. It’s very telling.
Subscribed!
Such excellent and astute commentary.
Love love love all of this
@@TakverReturns Thank you!
@@tiffenydavis2927 Cheers, Tiffeny! It's such an engaging cultural moment, isn't it?
Love love love. I just told someone this is a spiritual connection that only we feel because we lived it and live it. While we are all listening and dancing to the same song black people the culture are dancing to the sound of a different beat. Outsiders get shocked when we "turn" on them when in all actuality they just get too comfortable as a guest . A perfect example is Vlad
The fact that the Rap Genius website crashed every-time that Kendrick released a song speaks volumes! People say Kendrick is boring but he definitely moves the culture. Why else would Rap Genius crash 🤷🏽♂️ People want to hear and more importantly they want to understand what Kendrick is saying! This battle will go down in history as one of if not the best in history!
“Imma do my stuff” is LA/Compton lingo meaning imma handle business
I was waiting for somebody to clear that up
thanks g
@@OGAcidSunsets 🤣
cool to know. he also didn’t mention “I’d fuck ‘em up” after the first WAP WAP WAP WAP WAP!
They not like us 😂
It’s really Aaave in general
We say similar in Memphis
12:46 No, actually the "wanting to see Compton like tourists" is actually a real thing. Me and a Japanese tattoo artist who was new to LA and wanted to go with him to different places in LA (mostly because he didn't quite speak good English and I wanted to make friends 1st living out here). He told me, a queer black woman, that he wanted to go to Compton because he saw the Straight Outta Compton film and wanted to see the area like it was just a place where anyone can go. Like it was some landmark tourist destination like Beverly Hills, Hollywood, or Santa Monica.
I tried to educate him on the nuances of the film, hip hop then and now, and sternly informed him that black people aren't just an aesthetic that you can emulate for a week and say "you're about that life", but because he was ignorant to the nuance he didn't get it because he was too removed from it. HENCE Kendrick's point. He was actually born and raised in Compton. Drake's so removed from black history/culture and costumes them as a means to an end to make money. But BARELY talks about black issues/struggles DESPITE being half black.
TL;DR: Kendrick's telling about Drake "Everone wants to be black, until it's time to be black when the cops come. They want the rhythm, but not our blues."
There is also a The Game music video (100) where he shows Drake around Compton, ironically enough.
Easy read! Very in-depth pov** 🎯 Big Trill Dissertation.. I mean great at the real vibe of when or why blacks have culture and brand of Nuances 😊😊😊
That’s honestly crazy, I’m glad you typed this out for everyone to read and understand about how “what’s understood ain’t gotta be explained”.
If you watch the Nardwaur Kendrick interview, that's where Kendrick learned about Compton tourism
Rythm and not the "blues - the cops" 👌🏽
5:51 - I found your channel by accident while searching BBL Drizzy. Your analysis of how Drake lost was immaculate and well worth the like.
For me, this is video number 2. The fact that such a cleary articulate scholar is so equally down to earth and just enjoying the jams for the jams has earned my sub and love for your content. The fact that you don't edit these is the cherry on top (adds authenticity and relatability, imo). Much love from Zimbabwe.
“wesley’s tune” 😭😭😭
I agree, once all the dust has settled this rivalry needs to be dissected and studied.
This isn’t just two rappers beefing, this is two different philosophies battling each other.
When Euphoria was released is said “ they will teach college courses on Kendrick in the future”
I think part of the genius behind the “They Not Like Us” hook- with regard to the first half about PDF files- is that it transcends race. He’s saying “they” (PDF Files and the OVO clique) are not like “us” (people who aren’t PDF files).
He made a bop anthem to reject and hate on PDF files- a sentiment that everyone (except PDF files) can get behind. Brilliant.
It also adds to the whole "are you my friend? Then step this way" part at the end. The song is very much a line in the sand and a call to everyone listening to distance yourself from Drake/OVO.
exactly! well said
Hmmm no. You can take it like that but it’s definitely still rooted in the idea of race/culture and the appropriate of it
@@v4vindication622 your opinion but I took it as pdf files vs non-pdf files. Maybe, try listening again. Idk, maybe you’ll understand why our take on it is different from yours. Again, this is not to change your opinion, I just don’t see it your way.
@@SurtaPhyde it's art. It could mean both. But I think the most direct meaning is making a clear distinction between PDFfiles and non-PDFfiles
OVO used to mean 'October's Very Own'
As an intellectual black man. Who also grew up in the hood. I absolutely love the academic review of this music art form. I don't think enough people understand the genius in it.even the one who seem to have dumb down music are often more intentional and intelligent then perceived
AVAA professor. I had some issues with your colonizer argument. As someone who comes from a country which was colonized by British I have heard this argument before from my own countrymen. And I agree Britishers did built many now acclaimed universities and hospitals in my country but they did that cause they needed to do that. They were creating those for themselves and excluding native people from the facilities of those institutions. Later they let Indians in those places because they had no other choice.Drake represents late stage capitalism and corporate greed in hiphop like no one. Drake needed Future, Lil Baby, Bad Bunny, Uk drill rappers and all those artists from various genres way more than they needed him. Drake would have copied all the styles on his own if the culture let him. Drake stole enough from various different cultures so if any deserving artist get famous because of Drake I don't want to say Drake gave them those clouts.
And yeah Colonizers definitely "give" colonized people something inadvertently but at what cost?
I hope my addendum addressed this a bit, but I definitely agree with what you are saying.
This and also, unlike Drake, these rappers never took on Drakes personality. You can watch Drake transform as he bites these rappers' styles/stories. His stories get more "hood" his heritage gets rewritten (like Kendrick said), and he becomes the Drake we see now. People are seeing Drake as a camelia with no identity. Just a mix and match person who can make songs that follow the trends. They call him a pop star because, like most pop stars, he stands on or for nothing. And he commits the cardinal sin in the rap of being inauthentic.
@@marythemotherofglob6360 agree
Thank you for saying this @souvikdeb808. I’m French from black African descent and I moved to France when I was 6 and i also had an issue with this part of the conversation for the following reasons:
1) In highschool when we finally discussed colonisation there was a chapter about how african countries benefited from colonisation, and I find this discourse appalling and manipulative. As you said, yes they created infrastructures but at what cost? They didn’t take care of areas they didn’t live in (some areas in the cities that became ghettos post colonisation, or even roads leading to remote villages). They made all these improvements for themselves their own comfort thinking they would be staying in those taken space for ever.
2) I’m not part of the African American culture as I’m obviously part of the African diaspora of Europe and my ancestors history is not comparable to the history of African American ancestors. However, we know what it means to be black, that it’s not just about colour, it’s about how you were raised and knowing your identity. My sister is biracial yet she also didn’t take well the slave part in the heart part 6. She is a gen z and identities with her both sides even though she feels more black as she was raised in a black family. Drake was raised in an all jewish neighbourhood, by a white mother with barely or even (i bet) no black person he could relate to growing up and build his identity as a biracial man. And he is Canadian!! He also saw himself through the eyes of white people and embraced it.
The problem is he doesn’t truly identify as a black man, he uses blackness as an aesthetic and a mean to an end. The guy literally posed for the camera wearing full black face as an adult!
This is the issue with him. He is cosplaying as a black African American person without even trying to understand that culture. On top of that him being Canadian double downs on the colonizer portrayal.
@@Sweeties_sweetest British created a "educated" native middle class as overseers. Those people helped them to protect the system.They were the police men who killed and tortured freedom fighters, beurocrats fought against independence.I come from Kolkata, a city that was capital of the whole south asian british empire. They built many big colleges and hospitals there.Kolkata and some other big cities were "advanced".But British took away the lands from Native tribes, enslaved them, created division between religions, took away the crops of the farmers that lead to the great femine killing millions. Drake is a overseer of the big corporate system in my opinion. He is just the symptom of the disease that is late stage capitalism. Aubrey Graham plays the character called Drizzy Drake. Stealing cultural traits from different parts of the world. I have enjoyed Drake songs before but I definitely recognize him as a part of the larger problem.
Aava! I would say that the "dumbing down" may be less "making fun of drake" and more actually tapping into the culture of club and dance music that drake has gentrified! Beating him at his own game AND paying homage to the music that's been degraded in the process. Perhaps the call and response stuff is a kind of in group signifier, as though drake is being left out of the very process of participation unless he wants to call himself a total creep. The legacy of call and response in Black American music could also factor in here, but I may be reading into it too much. That being said, it is Kendrick, so is reading into it too much really a possibility?
Awesome Ass Videos Always
well said, you should start a RUclips channel :)
I will confirm this. The 'Call and Response' of the song was very much a way of boxing Drake out.
Drake hasnt really gentrified, he neutralized and commodified
I watched this other guys breakdown on this track and man Kdot is insane everything in the song has a double or hidden meaning he's a damn genius
14:30 I understand your interpretation of the hook “they not like us”… but in this instance I believe Kendrick is strictly referring to Drake and his OVO camp and that they’re mostly from Canada…. He set up this narrative in Euphoria when he said “You can run to America, but you can’t imitate this violence”… I believe the “not like us” chant is really reinforcing the sentiment that Drake is a culture vulture.
15:40 P.S Wok is a cough syrup used to make lean.. but I love the double entendres!
Professor Skye, this is literally the first time I've ever bothered to comment on a RUclips video. Your analysis was so thoughtful and interesting, I listened to your entire presentation, and rarely do I listen to an entire 30-minute video.
As an African American man who grew up in LA/Compton years ahead of Kendrick's generation, I'm fascinated by what I'm learning about the current state of hip-hop. I grew up with Chuck D and X-Clan. I appreciate and applaud nearly every point you made.
However, I would ask you to consider this perspective regarding your point on colonization. I don't think the Drake/Kanye comparison is the right fit.
The apparent criticism of Drake by Kendrick and others is not that Drake (the so-called colonizer) hasn't contributed to the "culture." It sounds like he's under attack for misrepresenting authenticity and loyalty to the "culture." Mother Teresa contributed immensely to Indian culture in Calcutta. She stood for that culture internationally, promoting their interests in places and among people that the Calcutta locals could not reach.
The hip-hop culture seems to have embraced Drake and appreciated his contributions for years. It appears that only recently many in the "community" have lost respect for him, possibly for reasons that haven't been clearly vetted yet. Unlike Drake, Kanye is a founding member of "modern hip-hop culture" and has put in an incredible amount of early work shaping it.
Here's the crux of the current (violent) split in hip-hop as I can best discern. Hip-hop is a powerful global force for potential good. It's the #1 export of America’s struggling urban communities.
Kendrick seems to see it as a tool for positive change, whereas Drake is being attacked as someone who exploits it for self-aggrandizement. The growing sentiment seems to be that the content creators want to see more of the financial gain, while those at the top (even artists who have made it) are less concerned about change.
At some point recently, Drake must have signaled that he's not with any change. Notwithstanding the long-term conflict between Kendrick and Drake, everyone must not forget that this most recent battle started with a verse on a release called "We Don't Trust You."
Some want to accuse the culture of discriminating against Drake, forgetting the openness within the hip-hop culture. For example, Eminem, a rapper of European descent from Detroit (which wasn't on the hip-hop map), earned and commands enormous respect. This is not about who you are but rather where you stand and who you stand with. No one would ever call Mother Teresa a colonizer. She was "ride or die" with Calcutta.
Thanks for the reply. I can appreciate your point since I'm not seeking agreement, but rather offering another perspective. You must admit that it's extremely difficult the neatly separate culture from economics.
Tea became an important part of British culture. The British wanted the tea but didn't want to compensate the Chinese fairly. This cultural fetish, motivated the opium war, the annexation of Hong Kong, and the partial colonization China's coastal regions.
Please don't miss my more important points -
I'm starting to think ppl really don't know who Drake is. Canadian, biracial, raised Jewish. Didn't even know about the Jewish part until videos showing clips of him exploiting that angle.
I see Jimmy/Aubrey the actor. Him cosplaying the worst parts of our culture for profit is being a vulture. Our culture has been a double edged sword, especially the past two decades. It sells records, granted the majority buyers and listeners are white.
Drake doesn't know anything "about that life" yet he's rapping like he is.
Please don't give him the benefit of the doubt.
He was privileged as hell growing up.
The classroom analogy at the beginning of this was mind-blowingly accurate! Not Like Us felt like our reward for paying attention to Kendrick's more contemplative diss tracks from before.
I actually listened to Meet the Grahams a bunch of times too. It's hard af in its structure. And I personally enjoy the feeling of experiencing art made from a place of absolute loathing.
i’m saying. it’s the track a replayed the most because of how fucking visceral it is. complete takedown of drake’s character it is possibly the most devastating diss track i’ve ever heard because i legitimately don’t know how you can hear every lyric of that song and still listen to drakes music.
It's eerie and extremely dark, but kind of beautiful and poetic at the same time. It's a masterpiece.
It's also so cinematic. Visual visceral storytelling
My gf has added it to her playlist for driving
Definitely not listening to that shit in my car lmao. I don’t wanna hear about all Drake’s family issues
Rather hear Section 80, go listen to Rigamortus, that’s a sonic masterpiece
This guy gives me S tier dad vibes
I'm surprised people apparently don't go back to Meet The Grahams, I keep listening to it on repeat, tbh I think it's better than Not Like Us
I think that song is actually triggering for some people because it's a lot of peoples reality. I'm sure it made a lot of deadbeats triggered. This is why I feel like it's not being discussed as much as the other two
Drake lucky he got DJ Mustard instead of DJ Quik. Whole coast would've been outside
By the way, that's DJ Quik, [word]
So true,👏👏.
God I need this so bad
Whhhhhoooooo😮😮😮
This may be my crowd..... hip hop philosophy 😊
It's a great channel for hip hop heads, Dr Skye is a close listener, he's great
Where is the hip-hop here? This is not about hip-hop
@@GwazaJusetrue drake is a pop star and Kendrick is a poet
A bunch of vultures that started off by saying 'American culture' whilst simultaneously discrediting the b-community, and you fell for it? So gullible.
@@survivingwhitezaddy2.5 no you’re among people who respect hip hop and the community and the art. Maybe a couple of haters though
These rap analysis videos are super fun to watch. Looking forward to your (possible) next ones!
Finally!!! Somebody on the outside looking in giving unbiased and realistic view!! As a person who grew up on the art and see who controls and manipulates it..put it this way…Kendrick isn’t just goin against Drake..Kendrick is goin against the industry! I personally love both of their music but as you grow so does your music. Yes, Drake has club bangers but no club album, which is why KDot said “you don’t have one.” Drake has been subliminally bullying Kendrick for years and KDot has been warning him, not to mention, the people who are deep in the culture who understand the way Drake moves, he’s making questionable decisions that we didn’t start out loving him for. He’s grown in money and material things..but he’s still a (lover) boy who hasn’t grown up yet. That’s what KDot’s issue is with Drake. As far as the industry..we’ll, it’s been playing out in our faces but only 5% of us will see it the other 95% will stay lost 🤷🏽♂️
Here's the explanation to the Stockton line from SportsKeeda:
" Kendrick Lamar released a new diss track on Saturday night, titled “Not Like Us,” which included a reference to Karl Malone, as he continued to accuse Drake of engaging in pedophilia.
In a verse from the song, Kendrick likened himself to NBA legend John Stockton, subtly alluding to Drake as Malone, who faced controversy for fathering a child with a 13-year-old girl when he was an adult. Stockton and Malone played together for the Utah Jazz for 18 seasons. "
Drake is also neighbors with Karl Malone and had pics up with him but recently deleted them from his IG.
I think with this track he’s doing with all of Drake’s brands and phrases the same thing Pusha T did or tried to do with the 6 tag (tick tick tick, sick sick sick / six six six) and make it impossible to see or hear them without thinking of the diss. OVHoe, 69 god, certified lover boy certified pedophile are all gonna be something you think of when you talk about drake
Facts, layers to 69 god as well, could be referring to Tekashi and his issues with a minor
Just wanna say your MTG and Family Matters video got me to sub. Very thoughtful and articulate channel and person. Gonna go through the rest of the videos in the following days.
I feel like you're the first person I've seen who's fully understood the gravity of this situation and how unprecedented it is. Insane how this is gonna be one of his biggest songs
WOP WOP WOP WOP WOP
Skillibeng…loop him up
😂😂😂
Skye said that as I read your comment
@@bertobertoberto3 bwahahahahahaha
More like WAP WAP WAP WAP…
Naa the way you understand whats going on, you definitely like us.
Fax
Always so quick to invite them in, then complain about culture vultures later on 🤦🏿♂️
@@Goodnightsrest braindead response honestly
😂😂😂
@@Goodnightsrestexactly, he's an outsider not part of the culture
When I first listened to "Not Like Us," I was walking to my bathroom before bed, and I fell to my knees in laughter when I heard "A Minooooooor." It was so shocking and funny I couldn't believe my ears.
Kendrick’s saying “16-eyein’ God”
Check it out.
He’s fvcking amazing.
You should look up what Donald Glover said about This Is America starting as a Drake Diss and proof he could make bangers if he wanted to. Southern rappers have hated Drake and known about his allegations for a decade. There's a whole multi-artist multi-EP Civil War happening here.
Hey prof! Regarding the “wock/walk” line, u may be right with a secondary meaning, but on its face its a play on “lean”ing on someone (pressuring them) and “wock” refers to another name for lean - which is the promethazine cough syrup drink you’ve probably heard before in rap
And I think you are missing the subtext of the slavery line. Drake said kendrick always rapping like he trying to free the slaves in the last one as a diss - kendrick is throwing that back in his face as if saying “why is that a diss? What side are YOU on?” No one said drake can’t rap about slavery, but that particular line in his diss struck a lot of ppl as whack. So this section 1. Implies Kendrick wrote this whole song after drakes last response would which would be insane and 2. Doubles down on the metaphor, and puts drake in the “slave owner” or “colonizer” camp.
1 more thing - yes sonically you can say it’s “dumbed down” but this isn’t Kendrick intentionally dumbing things down to “satirize” drakes music. The narrative after MTG was that drake was making catchier songs , and Kendrick’s disses were putting ppl to sleep. So he went and got mustard to make a club BANGER beat, and the repetitious hooks are there cuz it’s a club song. Also part of the reason there’s such defined sections, so the track can be manipulated and mixed into the next/previous song. It’s not a satire, it’s a genuine (successful) attempt at responding to a narrative in real time by making a catchy diss. Which personally I think adds to the idea that someone within OvO who does not like Baka and PnD is leaking all the shit to Kendrick ahead of time
@@worldwidestepper9880Yeah, this man's erudition is good but...he's Really got to get into the culture a bit deeper or at least attempt to not appeal so much to his "I'm a white academic" spiel. It may be him but I believe he probably holds back alot for his RUclips persona and his teaching position, Which is fair, but I think it really hurts his ability to engage at a deeper level.
Actually ☝🏾🤓 Wock is short for Wockhardt , a particular brand of Promethazine with Codeine
Could also be referencing Drake's friend Lil Yachty.
"I took the Wock' to Poland"
This channel is very fascinating. Glad I found it 👍🏾
I’m so glad I found your channel! This is amazing 💗 btw OVO stands for “October’s Very Own” referencing that Drake is an October baby. Yep… that’s actually want it means.
And the bar is “lean on a nigga, like another line of Wok” Wok is short for Wockhardt that mean codeine with promethazine or commonly known as lean
Bruh, if this video was 10x longer, I'd still watch the entire thing twice. These breakdowns are phenomenal dude. Easiest sub ever lol
You are right though. On his breakout album GKMC he did the same thing with swimming pools. It was actually a song about alcohol abuse. The amount of clubs, bars, parties I heard the song being played it is endless
I just want to say as an art/pop culture critic, writer, rapper, and and african american man ... i love your analysis outside from them being similar to mine i admire they way you go into depth about your stances
Ok brother I’m going to give you facts. First Don’t knock yourself you’re good. I’m a OG in hip hop.Strait up b boy. You are Hip Hop. Hip hop culture is not a color never was and never will be. It’s deejaying,breaking,emceeing.And the knowledge of self. Don’t forget that. Your a historian keep up the good work…
Drake only has a black dad but he is not of the black culture that is why he needs to have all those features to co sign for him to give him cred that he can relate to black people to do black art
That part! But I don't blame Drake the fake, I blame those who forgot to stay on code and coddled his ass into black facing and using the n-word without so much as a side-eye before a sit-down somewhere.
13:19 the stockton line is ultimate. Stockon played with the kings with karl malone, who also is a proven pdf file downloader. He had a child with a 13yo, and thats one of drakes neighbors
Stockton played for the "Jazz" but we get your point
@@warispeaceignoranceisstren704 its def the malone referance ...out of all guards why stockton? coulda done it with others down the line "hide bible as i beat dat azz , how many ops ya got ima pass im steve nash" its def a malone shot...he legit got a 13 yr old preggo while he was in college..."black redneck" - barkley his home boy lol
Bro your content and voice and energy and information and personality will take you so far. Never stop making videos. -Nate Sky
OVO = October's Very Own. Also Stockton used to pass the ball to Karl Malone a known PDF File
"Hype to hear billy woods' brief line about all this in a few months." -some guy in reddit. AVAA
very funny and true
Billy Woods take on this would be nice to hear
What's AVAA?
@@danielisflying Billy would probably roast drake in the most multi-layered cryptic response that would make me cry as part of "Doves part 2"
@@h__r Auctioneers Value Association of Australia
Also....as Big L eloquently stated in Ebonics, "A razorblade is an ox."
I just said the same thing but then saw your comment. Its deeper than rap " They not us"😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@matthewallen2247 That Part!☺☺☺☺☺
John Stockton passed to Karl Malone who had some nasty allegations
i've really enjoyed your videos on the subject. i found you via the battle and i look forward to watching future videos!
I think the problem with Drake and kanye being vampires as the billionaire artists that they are, working in an increasingly fatal capitalist system, is that the relationship within this context always leaves too much room for harm and exploitation. The billionaires are basically fishing when there's a growing famine in the ocean.
Drake and Kanye both actively take advantage of that to not only collaborate with young artists but to exploit them at the same time.
Kanye with his recent high school and literally everything else.
Drake with all the artists and genres he's hopped on, songs he's employed people to write to mask as his own artistry.
The shit is crazy
Kanye's contributed much, much more though, no? And doesn't pretend to be gangster and is much more himself than Drake is.
Kanye is no longer close to being a billionaire though I agree he does exploit black culture. However Kanye has authentic roots in Black society and is still fundamentally himself and doesn't shy away from it. Kanye's story is a man(artist) who has always struggled with an inflated ego that sits on a very insecure foundation. Drake is just a white boy trying to be 'black'
@@nykareem2001 Kanye is still a multi millionaire with major influence and power. But I do agree that he's a different kind of problem compared to Drake and because he's genuinely himself He's still more hip hop despite how much more insane he is
@@kabirkumar5815 Yes, I'm not saying they are both equivalent to each other outside of having power and taking advantage of people. Kanye is 100% hip hop because he's genuinely being himself, even as scatter brained as he is now
Wesley's theory is a bop. I'm always going to two-step when it comes on 😂
You can’t not dance to Thundercat and George Clinton 😂
These Walls too
We really appreciated the fact that this professor has educated himself so well that his cultural awareness and competency prepared him to cover black culture related events, with sensitivity as a true ally. He understands that in this moment... the Culture is not only the African American population but also includes the global black community... White supremacy created and supported colonization, slavery, racism... and every black human has experienced the tribulations that comes from not being white ... Another great example of a true ally to the Culture is Slim shady. .....He has always respected the roots of the genre and would never claim to be of the Culture...or covet a title or crown within our Cultural assets and art forms...he has always understood our struggles 🕊️👍 and moved with us, against our oppressors!! That is why he is respected and welcomed in our spaces. This white human gets that distinction 🤎
Estou muito feliz do algoritmo ter me enviado suas análises pois tou obcecada com essa treta e até hoje assisto análises, e as suas foram das mais contundentes. Obrigada. Um pouco de amor aqui do Brasil para o seu trabalho. 🇧🇷
billy joel embiid is so funny
slowly realizing i share youtube tastes with video essayist ro ramdin, from Northernlion to Professor Skye
It is always a trip to find out somebody I watch watches me
@professorskye 😂we know what u mean but dont say it like that.
😂😂😂
@@professorskye No drizzy
I imagine Kendrick using "They not like us" for its implicit message but also for the way it speaks to our time and our discourse. It's a phrase to excuse injustice, which he would be well aware of, and a tool used by people who wish to divide society for their own interests. Take it from the man.
If I was a real G kind of person, who came up in the struggle, I would not want to see other people claiming that ground. If that's not your life don't rap about it. I love Lil Dickie and Harry Mack, they're not fronting. Marshall Mathers earned it. Black america sees their culture co-opted and monetized by other people all the time. It's real artists against the machine.
Very polarizing line, thank you for your understanding. I believe both are true. That line is an entendre lol
Haha love your breakdowns & the perspective you bring to the table. Subbed!
By the way… a small trivia bit for you… on the piano an A minor chord only involves the white keys lol. That was another instance of Kendrick’s genius.
While it may start as a symbiotic relationship, Drake gets to keep everything he receives, (street cred, lingo, general acceptance) even after he moves on to the next hot trend.
If you look at ALL of the artists who he’s given a number one to not all of them are still receiving the benefits of their once symbiotic relationship.
Then just to add, some like Future already had Dungeon family ties & Kendrick had Dre/the whole west coast behind him. So yes, he helped them but the argument is that he doesn’t continue to help and there never should’ve been a ‘Drake’ in the first place
That part!!
@@BenitaVibes3599 YEP!
Hey prof. first time commenting here.
One thing to add more here is that the artist that Kendrick mentioned and that drakes collaborated with are not the entirety of the Atlanta Rap scene, and that just like they might have benefited from the collaborations, the community as a whole A. didn't get these benefits and B. on the long term will face negative effects from them (many mentioned the point about diluting the culture here). This is the same for colonization at least in my country where there are a few that benefited greatly from colonization, and we got roads, trains and modern stuff, but 70 years after that event we are much worst.
An interesting point to tackle both is that colonization halted the natural progression of the area and put it into a narrow path of progression set by the colonizer (for rap capitalistic watered down hit-making). And this is why Kendrick chose to deliver this over an LA beat to show how styles could have progressed and reached success without tampering from others (I'm in Rwanda and Dre's halftime show is played at every house party, no one is really playing ATL trap like that)
We needed you back in '16 great analysis
RAP means Rhythm & Poetry. Hip Hop culture isn't color. It's a lifestyle. It's a way of life. I'm not black but I'm definitely a part of the culture. Why? Bc Hip Hop was and is my life meaning it has been my therapy thru hard times and struggles growing up. The music is LIFE from the beat to the rhythm to the lyrics and the artistic creativity. If you can FEEL THE ENERGY in Hip Hop music and it impacts you more than just "hearing" it, YOU ARE PART OF US! Whether you're black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Indian or like me, a Pacific islander from the Bay Area, Northern California - you are included. Great video!!
issa bop innit prof?
The thing about colonization is that it can’t exist without ‘consent’ if that’s what you’d like to call it, but to say that you’re taking away agency is to deny the power imbalance. It’s colonization because the only other option is death, there is no other option.
I understood him differently. He was saying that calling drake a coloniser isn't a homerun, because Drake has consent, colonisers didn't.
I’ve been writing this essay about how colonialism , chattel slavery, and secrets societies mimics the summoning of demons. I’m saying all of those artist are being summoned by Drake, the power imbalance is very off. The will for the system to push Drake is a lot stronger than pushing all those other artist he used.
Wait I read what you wrote wrong… why didn’t colonizers have consent?
Thank you for your non editing style. I second that style too! Be raw & uncut, those who come to watch for real will stay. It makes your content more real to a degree.
You sir, have my sub.
Ive been in the market for a good music in cultural context channel to balance out all the theory headass channels and welp, i hope this period proves fruitful for you!
Its not about consent or coercion in that case, its about racial capitalism and who is afforded the wealth and power to shape the culture to meet their ends.
This
Bingo and right now the power is not in the hands of those that are actually of the culture
The two arent mutually exclusive
Meet the grahams makes me feel like training to become a psychologist actually empowers me like a freaking don, which is actually incredibly illuminating to me to not take psychological impact on another person for granted. Which is why that track gets replays from me. It's existence in itself is a truth about psychology.
I re listen to Meet the Grahams before my workouts so I feel like a serial killer while I lift weights. Usually start my workout with Not Like Us
I like listening to so many people giving so many inputs.👍
AVAA. Appreciate the POV. This definitely growing a cinematic universe on Kendricks side. He seems to be keeping a thread throughout so at any point someone can drop in and get caught up fairly quickly
hey, could you please explain what does "avaa" mean?
@@bbcvscj awesome video as always. It’s usually in his reviews.
What does AVAA mean?
Katt Williams said it is all coming out in 2024. The through current here is artists against the establishment and their evil stooges. I love seeing hypocrites fall; it's truly good for everyone.
Katt Williams also said he wished it was a politician or a religious leader who was doing what he is having to do but they are not. That comes through in his recent performances: he's in the position of telling jokes about things that really are not joking matters. I'm fine with the jokes, it's just something that clearly deserves a better forum. I guess the NYT and WSJ don't think it's that newsworthy or that the public deserves to know? Who gets to victimize people; that's basically the question. Take it from the man.
You have an absolutely refreshing perspective to hear. It's valuable, and I'm thankful for you attention in this economy of ideas 🙌🏿.
your words are beyond magic man. keep up the good work. ( i have 3 daughters in elementary school , u reflect a lot of my feelings on the subject matter )
Just scrolling the comments to see if anybody caught the WOCK line.. LEAN is called wock.. Hence Wockesha by Moneybagg Yo.. That was brilliant
Actually "wock" is short for Wockhardt which is the pharmaceutical company that manufacturers the cough syrup promethazine with codeine aka Lean.
- respectfully
@@ShesDope even better
AVAA, I just want to say if you want to avoid demonetization without having to spell out the word in the future an easy around it is by saying PDF Files, that’s what most content creators do
"he's downloading PDF files!!!"
the downside of this is it's humiliatingly stupid (à la "sewer slide" "unalive" "corn")
@@atyem9995 humiliating? I mean do you have a better alternative because I can’t think of many.
@@atyem9995yeah I don't make content that can be monetized but I think it's important to say suicide, died, etc.
@@ryanmahon1 Be realistic. Corporations aren’t going to magically allow for these marketing- unfriendly terms just because you don’t like them. 🤷♀️
We don’t live in a world where the corporate overlord algorithms will allow that, so people who want some sort of financial compensation for their content creation (not to mention who want to be able to reach a larger audience without being penalized) need workarounds. Or should they give up on the discourse entirely?
These terms may not be elegant or creative alternatives, but they are relatively effective.
Thank you I enjoyed your analysis - so interesting!
Really enjoyed your breakdown. I believe Kendrick also takes every opportunity to invoke subtle niche cultural references to function the same way inside jokes do. A lot of them were so ingrained in our childhoods that from the moment you hear it you ascribe a deeper appreciation - that is unless you were raised in suburban Canada amongst a predominantly Jewish community. I’d imagine it’d be harder to recognize the Teddy Pendergrass, The Wiz, Rev Al samples or understand the relationship between Wock and lean. If you did power through any feelings of being left out, you’d then be rewarded by being labeled a pseudo slur reserved for invaders but borne of a proud moment of our pop culture - “colonizer.”
AVAA! I will echo a few comments from your previous video in that I don’t agree that these songs (at least Kendrick’s) are just ‘content’. It’s a different form of art but the vitriol in Kendrick’s voice, the assuredness in how he’s playing this - I feel like we’re watching him chisel the marble right now, and can’t see the bigger picture just yet. We’re not seeing things be churned out to be churned out, there’s a vision and artistic energy behind this in conjunction with the vitriol and urge to bury Drake.
I understand the feeling that these need to be reacted to as they’re released (and I think there is some valuable cultural recording in that), but I hope I speak for many in the audience / class who’d also be interested in a broader look at this when the dust has settled. Maybe even a collaboration / discussion with another critic/academic/head in the space who can provide some additional context / views, like FD. I’d love to hear some more polished thoughts down the line when everything isn’t out of date within days of release.
@12:05 - "do my stuff" is neighborhood west coast vernacular, it was a nod.
1st time seeing you. I love it. You are so awesome. Coming from a guy who looks like a generic mix (which I am like Drake) between Drake and Kendrick; I so incredibly appreciate your sincere fascination with Hip- Hop(which so many nattily don't count as music at all).