Not Like Us

"Not Like Us" is adiss trackwritten and recorded by the American rapperKendrick Lamaramidsthis highly publicized feudwith the Canadian rapperDrake. It broke multiple records on the streaming platformSpotify, was Lamar's fourth number-one song on theUSBillboardHot 100, and is tied with "Up, Up and Away" as the most-awarded song inGrammyhistory. With widespread acclaim frommusic criticsand fans who feel it solidified Lamar's alleged ”victory” in the conflict, many regard it as the best diss track in the feud and one of the greatest diss tracks of all time.
Released on May 4, 2024, throughInterscope Records, "Not Like Us" was Lamar's fifth installment in his series of diss tracks directed at Drake, premiering less than 20 hours after his previous single "Meet the Grahams". Primarily produced byMustard, with additional work fromSounwaveandSean Momberger, "Not Like Us" is ahyphy-influencedWest Coast hip-hopsong composed of a prominentbasslinewith lively strings andfinger snaps. Lyrically, it continues the themes first introduced in "Meet the Grahams" by doubling down on allegations of Drake'spedophiliaandsexual misconduct, while also criticizing hiscultural identityand relationships withartists basedinAtlanta, Georgia.
"Not Like Us" is the longest-running number-one song on theHot Rap SongsandHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songscharts, while peaking atop in several other countries includingAustralia,Canada,Greece,Latvia,New Zealand, andSouth Africa. Lamar first performed "Not Like Us" duringThe Pop Out: Ken & Friends, where he played the track five consecutive times. He would perform the song again when he headlined theSuper Bowl LIXhalftime show. An accompanyingmusic video, directed byDave Freeand Lamar, was released onAmerican Independence Day. "Not Like Us" swept all five of its Grammy nominations at the67th ceremony:Record of the Year,Song of the Year,Best Rap Performance,Best Rap Song, andBest Music Video.
American rapperKendrick Lamarand Canadian rapperDrakehave been engaged in arap feudsince August 2013. Tensions escalated in March 2024, following Lamar's surprise appearance onFutureandMetro Boomin's single "Like That", which was perceived as a diss aimed at Drake andJ. Coleover their track "First Person Shooter". Drake responded to Lamar's verse with the single "Push Ups" and the since-removed song "Taylor Made Freestyle". Lamar fired back with the songs "Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA".
Hours after "6:16 in LA" was released, Drake responded with the single "Family Matters", in which he accused Lamar ofabusinghis romantic partner Whitney Alford and alleged that one of his two children was fathered by his creative partner,Dave Free. Less than an hour later, Lamar responded with "Meet the Grahams", which described Drake as an allegedsexual predatorwho runs asex traffickingring inside of hisTorontomansion, known as the Embassy, while fathering a secret daughter."Not Like Us" wasunexpectedly releasedon May 4, 2024, less than 24 hours after "Meet the Grahams" was published.The only prior marketing that the song received came from Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, the head of Lamar's former record labelTop Dawg Entertainment, who posted, "Dot, I see dead people" onTwitterapproximately two hours before its premiere.The single's cover art shows abird's-eye-viewof Drake's Toronto mansion from aGoogle Mapsscreenshotwith 13 red markers placed on its roof, symbolizing the presence ofregistered sex offenders.
Like Lamar's previous releases during the feud, "Not Like Us" was initially released as aYouTubeexclusive beforeInterscope Recordsserviced it tomusic streaming platformsseveral hours later.He reportedly removed thecopyright claimsfor a limited time, effectively allowing the public to freely use the song even for commercial purposes.Universal Musicpromoted the song onradio airplayin Italy on May 10, 2024.Ablendedversion of the studio recording with the live performance fromthe Pop Out: Ken & Friendsimpacted radio stations inCaliforniaon July 11, 2024.
"Not Like Us" is a "club-friendly"West Coast hip-hoptrack with stronghyphystylings.Several elements of its production, including the "stirring"violins,pianoandbrass instruments, were taken fromsamplesofMonk Higgins's 1968 rendition of "I Believe to My Soul", acoverofRay Charles's1961 composition.Despite speculation, the song does not include a sample ofNas's diss record "Ether" (2001).On "Not Like Us", Lamar employs a "comically exaggerated"cadencethat elicited comparisons toDrakeo the Ruler's signatureflow.
Mustard, the song's primary producer, wanted to work with Lamar for years and would send him about five beats a day for three months.He was inspired to compose the beat after imagining whatDr. Drewould create if he was in a recording studio withLil Jon.With contributions fromSounwaveand Sean Momberger,Mustard produced "Not Like Us" in about 30 minutes by speeding up the sample'stempoto create a "relentless" and "urgent" atmosphere.Its additionalbassline,snare drums, andfinger snapsheightened its "aggressive" tone.On April 6, 2024, Mustard sent the finished production to Lamar while attending his manager's birthday dinner.He received a complimentarytext messagefrom Lamar later that evening, but was unaware Lamar used it until the song came out.
The lyrics to "Not Like Us" were written solely by Lamar. It begins with him whispering "psst, I see dead people", a reference toThe Sixth Sense(1999), which he previously referenced on "Euphoria".Lamar then makes a series of allusions to his hometown ofCompton, California, before accusing Drake ofinappropriate sexual behavior with minors.Lamar references Drake's albumCertified Lover Boy(2021) when labeling him and his labelOVO Soundas "certified pedophiles", specifically naming Chubbs, Drake's head of security;PartyNextDoor, the first artist signed; andBaka Not Nice, who had been in prison forhuman traffickingbefore signing.
Lamar also attacks Drake's personal relationships, alleging that Drake had sex withLil Wayne's girlfriend, saying he "did [J.] Cole foul", and warning him to "not speak onSerena [Williams]" – referencing the fact that Drake and Williams were romantically involved in 2015 and that Drake dissedher husbandonHer Loss(2022).
Lamar challenges Drake'scultural identitythroughout the track, suggesting that his portrayal of Blackness likens him to Brad "B-Rad G" Gluckman  – a rich white kid who poses as a rapper – from the filmMalibu's Most Wanted(2003). In the second verse, Lamar accuses Drake of disrespecting the rapper2Pacbyartificially recreatinghis voice on "Taylor Made Freestyle".In the third verse, Lamar accuses Drake of exploiting BlackartistsfromAtlantaforstreet credibilityand financial gain in the same way thatcolonizersin the city exploitedslave labor, using his collaborations withFuture,Lil Baby,21 Savage,Young Thug,Quavoand2 Chainzas examples.The chorus, which consists solely of the phrase "they not like us", has been interpreted as a message that Drake and his associates "are unlike [Lamar's] own caliber, one that organically abides by the given morals ofBlack culture".
Lamar himself explained the personal meaning of the track in an interview withSZA:
"Not Like Us" was met with widespread critical acclaim for its contagious production, Lamar's vocal performance, and scathing songwriting.GQ's Frazier Tharpe dubbed the track a leading contender for the "song of the summer". He praised how the "banger" summoned Mustard's "raucous, party-starting homegrown energy" to deliver Lamar's "haymaker" that both out-strategized Drake and celebrated their West Coast upbringings.Stereogumeditors found the song to be not only an "ultra-effective" diss record but a hit filled with "vicious" allegations and history lessons.Professional wrestlerShawn Michaelsappreciated that hisSweet Chin Musicfinisherwas mentioned in the song and invited Lamar and Drake to settle their differences at aWWE NXTprogram.Two other individuals referenced in the song, Serena Williams andM. Night Shyamalan, the writer and director ofThe Sixth Sense, praised it.Harvey Mason Jr., chief executive officer ofthe Recording Academy, praised the song's artistry and relevance.
Journalists described "Not Like Us" as a cultural touchstone, aclarion callfor the West Coast, and one of the biggest diss tracks they have witnessed in their lifetimes.They considered the timing of its release and content an effective strategy in capturing thezeitgeistbefore listeners grew tired of the feud.Jordan Rose ofComplexdeclared "Not Like Us" as the best track released during Lamar and Drake's feud due to its electric tone and "contagious" production, although much of the lyrics are "very questionable". Rose believes that "time will tell" if the song marked the "end conclusion" of their war, but it has already proven itself to be "the stone that stunned Goliath."Vibe's Armon Sadler ranked "Not Like Us" as the second-best track of the feud, praising the "undeniable bop" as a "masterclass" in execution.Mark Elibert fromBillboard, who named it the fourth-best song, shared similar sentiments.Canadian outlets such as CBC News andExclaim!opined that "Not Like Us" has grown into ananti-Canadiananthemreminiscent of "Blame Canada" fromSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut(1999).Uproxx's Wongo Okon noted it helped Lamar become a more appealing figure forGeneration ZandGeneration Alphalisteners.
The song has also been examined in the context ofraceandcultural appropriation.Salamishah TilletofThe New York Timesopined that while the message of "Not Like Us" may seem to attack Drake'sbiracialidentity, its popularity has inspired a broad assortment ofinterracial interpretations.Rolling Stone'sAndre Gee believes the song is a "rally against perpetrators who shifted hip-hop from aBlackandbrowncommunity with culturally understood modes of being into an at-timesparodiccircus."The Triibe's Mark P. Braboy expanded on Gee's sentiments by applying the song's message to "culture vultures" in hip hop journalism who have built their platforms off of their exploitation of Black trauma.
Pitchforknamed "Not Like Us" as the third-best song released in the2020sso far. In his accompanying excerpt, Alphonse Pierre declared the line "Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles" as the "defining" lyric of the decade, in ways that are "unsettling and amazing and troubling and funny."Other publications such asComplex,HipHopDX,The Ringer,andThe Rootranked "Not Like Us" as one of the greatest diss tracks of all time.
"Not Like Us" led theBillboardGlobal 200chart for three non-consecutive weeks, marking Lamar's first solo number-one song on the survey.It also marked his eighth top-ten song on theUK Singles Chart, where it debuted at number ten and initially peaked at number six.Following Lamar's performance at theSuper Bowl LIXhalftime show, the song reached a new UK chart peak of number two on February 14, 2025, becoming his highest-charting single in the United Kingdom to date."Not Like Us" was an immediate commercial success and broke numerous streaming records—most of which were previously held by Drake.It is reportedly the most-streamed diss track onSpotify,earning the biggest single-day streams for a hip hop song (12.8 million) and the most song streams in a week by a rapper (81.2 million).Additionally, it became the fastest rap song on the platform to accumulate 100 million (9 days),200 million (19 days),300 million (35 days),400 million (54 days),500 million (70 days),600 million (87 days),and 700 million streams (112 days).It accumulated one billion streams in mid-January 2025.
In the United States, "Not Like Us" debuted at number one on theBillboardHot 100chart dated May 18, 2024, opening with 70.9 million streams, five million radio airplay audience impressions, and 15,000 copies sold. It registered the highest first-week streaming figure for a hip hop song sinceBillboardremoved YouTube song user-generated content from its chart metrics in 2020. As Lamar's fourth number-one single and first solo number-one debut, "Not Like Us" became the first rap song in history to top the Hot 100 with a shortened tracking week of five days.It also marked Mustard's first number-one single and debut as a producer, and one of the only chart leaders to be penned by a sole writer.
Following its music video premiere,"Not Like Us" bested "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" byShaboozeyand returned to number one on the Hot 100 chart, dated July 20, 2024, with 53.8 million streams, 40 million radio airplay audience impressions, and 8,000 copies sold. It is the longest-running solo chart-topper of Lamar's career, surpassing "Humble".In October 2024, "Not Like Us" broke the record set by "Old Town Road" byLil Nas XfeaturingBilly Ray Cyrusfor the most weeks spent atop theHot Rap Songschart.It also holds the record for the longest-charting number-one song on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songschart.By the end of the year, "Not Like Us", accumulated 823.5 million on-demand audio streams in the US, making it the second most streamed song of the year and was the sixth best-performing song on theBillboardHot 100 in 2024.Just after Lamar's performance at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, the song once again returned to number one on the Hot 100 chart, dated February 22, 2025 (with 49 million streams, 20.5 million radio airplay audience impressions, and 33,000 copies sold), becoming the third-longest break between time at number one in the chart’s history, and the first non-holiday song to top the Hot 100 three separate times with breaks of two or more months between times at number one.
In New Zealand, "Not Like Us" debuted at number six on theOfficial Aotearoa Music Chartsdated May 10, 2024. Two weeks later, it reached number two for one week before dropping out of the top three. Following its music video release, "Not Like Us" became Lamar's second number-one single as a solo artist, and his third overall in the country. It remained atop for another week.
In Australia, "Not Like Us" debuted at number nine on theARIA Chartsdated May 19, 2024. It reached number five the following week, at its initial peak. The song reached number five for its second week after the release of the music video, dated July 21, 2024.On the week of February 17, 2025, following hisGrammywins and performance at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, "Not Like Us" reached number one, becoming Lamar's first number-one hit as a solo artist.
In Brazil, the song debuted at number 52 on theBrasil Hot 100, following his performance at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show.
On November 8, 2024, "Not Like Us" was nominated for the67th Annual Grammy Awardsin five different categories:Record of the Year,Song of the Year,Best Rap Performance,Best Rap Song, andBest Music Video.On February 3, 2025, the song swept all five categories. Though he did not mention Drake in his speeches, rather dedicating them to the city of Los Angeles, Lamar was noted for his choice of outfit at the ceremony – a denim top along with denim pants, known as a "Canadian tuxedo" – seen as a playful jab at the Canadian-born Drake.
Dave Freeand Lamar directed andexecutive producedthemusic videofor "Not Like Us".Charm La'Donnahandled thechoreographyand is also credited as theassociate producer.In commemoration ofAmerican Independence Day,the music video was released on July 4, 2024, at approximately 3 p.m.PT.Fourstill imagesfrom the video wereleakedto social media a day prior.CNNandNMEnoted widespread anticipation for the video up to its release;Billboardcalled it "the most anticipated video of the year so far".By the morning after, the video had reached over 13 million views onYouTube,and by that afternoon, the number reached over 17 million.
The music video contains complexsymbolism,innuendos,euphemisms,double entendres, andeaster eggs; each ripened for faninterpretation.Parts of the visuals were filmed on June 22, 2024, across multiple locations in Lamar's hometown ofCompton, CaliforniaandLos Angeles.PGLang, Lamar and Free's production company, enlisted theLos Angeles County Sheriff's Departmentfor increased security.Deputies monitoring the production, which over 1,000 fans witnessed,were reportedly paid $120 an hour.A number of celebrities madecameo appearancesin the music video, includingJay Rock,Schoolboy Q,Ab-Soul,Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith,Terrence "Punch" Henderson, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr.,Mustard,Dave Free,Tommy the Clownand the Hip Hop Clowns,Charm La'Donna,DeMar DeRozan,YG,Roddy Ricch,Steve Lacy,JasonMartin,Thundercat,Brandon T. Jackson,Hit-Boyand his father Big Hit, Storm DeBarge,Kida the Great, and Taiwan Williams, among others.
The video starts with a view of the Compton Courthouse overlooking theMartin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Lamar sashays down a white,morgue-like hall to a snippet of the then-unreleased song "Squabble Up” from his sixth studio albumGNX(2024). Upon knocking on a door,Tommy the Clownslides open an eye hole and asks for the password. Lamar whispers the code, "I see dead people", and is allowed entry,although he is scolded for being late. He takes his seat with his classmates, the Hip Hop Clowns, and grooves to "Not Like Us". Lamar givesthe fingerand dances in the corner. A classmate passes him aBible, which he carefully slips in his jacket.
Usingcinematographythat mirrors the lyric video for "Family Matters",a covered figure resembling Drake on the cover ofDark Lane Demo Tapes(2020) tries to ambush Lamar from behind; he is quickly blown away.Lamar completes seventeenpush-upson fourcinder blocks—a response to Drake ordering him to "drop and give me fifty" on "Push Ups"—in a bedroom with strong similarities to aprison cell. He then strikes an owl-shapedpiñataand glides down ahopscotchcourt numbered 1 through 10. Adisclaimerinsulting Drake's record label,OVO Sound, is shown as he repeatedly hits the piñata.Aerial shotsof a large crowd of Compton residents gathered inside of the memorial and chanting the song are featured throughout the video.
Lamar and Mustard take a drive through Compton'sRosecrans Avenuein a blackFerrari SF90 Stradale. They stop atTam's Burgers#21 to grab some food with dancer Storm DeBarge. Lamar then joins a group of friends on a rooftop near the Courthouse before meeting Free andDeMar DeRozanat adockyardcontaining white shipping containers. DancersKida the Greatand Taiwan Williams accompany Lamar on the dockyard, while La'Donna is seentightrope walkingin the clouds.AtNickerson Gardens, Lamar hangs out with his formerTop DawglabelmatesJay Rock,Schoolboy QandAb-Soul(collectively known asBlack Hippy), along with executives Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith,Terrence "Punch" Henderson, and Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr.
Shifting back to the classroom, Lamar and the Hip Hop Clowns perform anumberunder Tommy the Clown's watch. Lamar poses with his partner Whitney Alford and their children in aliving room; the couple dances joyfully while the children play.Abarn owland Lamar engage in a stare down—as he leaves, the owl realizes it has been locked in a cage.
In what appears to be unedited footage from the shoot, Free asks the rapturous Compton crowd through abullhornif they want to play the song again as theend titlesappear on the screen.
The music video was met with widespread critical acclaim. Numerous publications and websites called it another victory lap for Lamar in his feud with Drake.CBC Newscalled it a moment of re-ignition of the feud,whileVibeopined it as Lamar's "knockout punch" against the rapper.The video's content also discredited many allegations and claims that Drake had dissed Lamar with, including refuting Drake's derogatory claims against his family with their appearance in the video dancing happily alongside him,as well as the video credits reading "Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar", which dispelled rumors that Lamar and his creative partner had been in conflict with each other.
Vinson Cunningham ofThe New Yorkerthought that the video's Independence Day release was a "jingoisticmove" that draws a "bright line" along theCanada–United States border. He made an "Edenic" comparison to the image of Lamar and his family posing withGrant Wood'sAmerican Gothic(1930) andGordon Parks's1942 photograph of the same name, arguing that the frame inaugurated a "new sort" ofAmerican iconography.Entertainment Weeklyobserved the inclusion of new music in the intro to the video, noting fan speculation that it was to be included in Lamar's potential next studio album.USA Today's Naledi Ushe mused that with the release of the music video, Lamar had aimed to take Drake's "song of the summer trophy", noting Drake's perceived achievement with several of his late 2010s singles and the relative failure of the singles fromFor All the Dogs(2023), leaving the title open for Lamar andSabrina Carpenterwith "Espresso" to contend.NBC Newsnoted the song's appraisal as a celebration of Compton and the West Coast.GQappreciated Lamar's choice offashionstyle in the video, pointing out that his wearing of aPradasuit and multipleMartine Rosetrack jackets reinforced aclaimthat he made a year ago that he "is the best-dressed MC in rap".
Drake responded with "The Heart Part 6" two days after "Not Like Us" was released.On November 24, 2024, Drake appeared on aKicklivestreamwith Canadian streamerxQc, describing himself as "fully intact, mind, body, and soul". Lamar reacted to these comments with amusement.
On November 25, 2024, Drake filed a petition againstUniversal Music Group(UMG) and Spotify underNew York lawclaiming that they had conspired to artificially inflate the popularity of "Not Like Us" to "deceive consumers into believing the song was more popular than it was in reality". His attorneys accused UMG of violating theRacketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act(RICO) and using deceptive business practices and false advertising.UMG stated in response that the allegations were "offensive and untrue", that they would "never do anything to undermine" any artist signed to the label, and that "fans choose the music they want to hear".Drake later filed a second petition against UMG underTexas lawclaimingdefamationby failing to halt the release of a song "falsely accusing him of being a sex offender." He also accused UMG of "funneling payments" toiHeartRadioas part of a "pay-to-playscheme" to promote "Not Like Us" on the radio.On January 15, 2025, Drake filed a lawsuit against UMG; Lamar was not included as a defendant.
Duringthe Pop Out: Ken & Friends, held onJuneteenth2024 at theKia ForuminInglewood, California, Lamar performed "Not Like Us" for the first time.The song was introduced byDr. Drewhispering the opening lines. The track was followed by four consecutive reprises,including two which featured a wide assortment of emerging and notable West Coast figures.NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce compared the picture toArt Kane'sA Great Day in Harlem(1958).Several critics viewed the "raw" performances of "Not Like Us" as a highlight of the concert and praised its liveliness.David Dennis Jr. ofAndscapecommended the way Lamar turned a song centered on his disdain for Drake into a moment of "unity and love".
On September 8, 2024, Lamar was announced as the headlining act for theSuper Bowl LIXhalftime showat theCaesars SuperdomeinNew Orleans, Louisiana.Speculation arose as to whether he would incorporate "Not Like Us" into his performance.Justin Sayles ofThe Ringercalled the halftime performance announcement as the capstone of a year that had seen Lamar "ascend to the highest levels" of popular culture, and seen Drake "sink to the lowest levels" of his career.
"Not Like Us" would indeed be performed towards the end of Lamar's Super Bowl halftime setlist on February 9, 2025. In an interlude during the middle of the set, Lamar teased the song and alluded to Drake's litigation by quipping "I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue", which was followed by a brief audio clip of the song's introduction.In another interlude after performing "All the Stars", he said "they tried to rig the game but you can't fake influence", then launched into "Not Like Us".Lamar looked directly into the camera with a smile when he rapped "Say Drake, I hear you like 'em young". The lyric including the word "pedophile" was censored, but the audience could be heard shouting the lyric "tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor" along with him a few lines later.Lisa Respers France ofCNNwould call "Not Like Us" the star of the halftime performance, while Maria Sherman of theAssociated Pressdescribed Lamar performing the song on the biggest stage in U.S. sports, especially days after the song swept the Grammy Awards, as "another step in Lamar's continued victory lap".
Following the release of its music video,Tam's Burgers#21 saw a significant spike in business.Lauro Hernandez and his son Bryan Noe, the managers of the restaurant, reported that they experienced a 30% to 40% boost in sales.Spiro Vovos, who owns the Tam's Burgers chain, later clarified that it was more of a surge in foot traffic andcontent creatorsvisiting the location; the sales influx mostly occurred as the video was being filmed.Amuralhonoring Lamar and "Not Like Us" was painted on the restaurant's exterior by Mike Norice.Fashion brands such asWilly Chavarriaalso enjoyed substantial increases in brand recognition and sales after their pieces were featured in the music video.
Small business ownersin Compton, however, were negatively impacted by the production of its music video.In a report conducted by theLos Angeles Times, astrip mallacross from the Compton Courthouse that houses local businesses had its parking lot overrun by "cars and chaos" as hundreds of people poured out to the Courthouse to catch a glimpse of Lamar. Its owners had to shut down operations and claimed they lost thousands of dollars during the shoot. They placed the blame on city officials for their lack of communication, and have asked Lamar, PGLang, or the city government to providefinancial compensation.
Several musicians, such asIsaiah Rashad,Janet Jackson,Megan Thee Stallion,andT-Pain,have incorporated "Not Like Us" in their live performances; while others includingDaBaby,Remble,Montana of 300,andKevin Hartsharedfreestyles.At the2024 BET Awards, hostTaraji P. Hensonparodied"Not Like Us" as part of her opening monologue.Serena Williamscrip walkedto the track while hosting the2024 ESPY Awards.Richie Bransoncomposed achiptuneversion of the track and designed a free-to-playvideo game, titledNot Like Us: The Game.It attracted 1.2 million players during the first 36 hours of its release.SomeiPhoneusers noticed that if they askedSirito play Drake'sCertified Lover Boy(2021) on Spotify, it would occasionally play "Not Like Us" instead.
"Not Like Us" was referenced a number of times during the2024 US election cycle.Democraticfigures including vice presidentKamala Harris,representativeJasmine Crockett,mayor of BaltimoreBrandon Scott,attorney general of IllinoisKwame Raoul,and aprotest against Donald Trumpin Chicago used the song's chorus as a political metaphor to criticize the president-elect and members of theRepublican Party.Sports journalistBomani Jonesargued that the song influenced a shift in campaign messaging on "every side",suggesting a parallel with politicians likeTim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, publicly branding Trump, hisrunning mateJD Vance, and other Republicans as "weird".
After incumbent presidentJoe Bidenwithdrewfrom the2024 presidential election, Harris incorporated "Not Like Us" intoher own presidential campaignwith Walz as her running mate.Journalists were intrigued by the decision, as Harris'smixed-race ancestrywas a subject of questioning by her opponents,while younger supporters such asParker Shortwere energized by it.During the2024 Democratic National Convention, "Not Like Us" was chosen as one of the four walk-on songs to represent California at the ceremonial roll call.It was referenced by Alabama congressional candidateShomari Figuresin the context ofvoting rightsduring his address at the convention.Inglobal politics, rapper Sabi Wu sampled "Not Like Us" to compose aprotest songopposingtheKenya Finance Bill.
Keith Murphy forAndscapepredicted that "Not Like Us" could become the "next greatsports anthem".Major professional sports leagues such as theNational Basketball Association(NBA), theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA), theNational Football League(NFL),Major League Baseball(MLB),Major League Soccer(MLS), and theWomen's National Basketball Association(WNBA) have used "Not Like Us" in their broadcasts andsocial media campaigns, especially teams from theLos Angeles area.USA Basketballalso used the track throughout the2024 Summer Olympics.Marching bandsrepresentinghistorically black universities, such as theHuman Jukebox(Southern),Marching 100(Florida A&M), and Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite (Alcorn State), performed "Not Like Us" during their respective sports seasons.
The social media accounts of theArgentina national football teamused the song's title to mock Drake after he lost a $300,000betin favor ofCanadaduring thesemifinalsof the2024 Copa América.
Credits are adapted fromTidal.