Kendrick Lamar on Sunday won the Grammys for Record and Song of the Year for his smash diss track “Not Like Us,” one of a series of tracks from the Los Angeles-area native that skewer hip-hop rival Drake.
Lamar’s scathing song was released as part of a lengthy feud with the Canadian rapper. The Record of the Year prize honor the overall performance of a song, while Song of the Year recognizes songwriting.
On the night, he won in all five categories in which he was nominated, all for “Not Like Us.” The others were best rap song and performance, as well as best music video.
For both best rap song and performance, he was nominated a second time for the track “Like That.”
“Nothing more powerful than rap music,” the 37-year-old Lamar said in accepting the top song trophy. “We are the culture.”
Lamar released “Not Like Us” in May 2024, the fifth of a collection of songs skewering the Canadian rapper that dropped less than a day after his previous single, “Meet the Grahams.”
“Not Like Us” led critics and followers to proclaim Lamar the winner of the battle, which saw the rappers trade barbs including allegations of domestic abuse and sexual misconduct involving children.
A record-breaking streaming giant, “Not Like Us” catapulted to the top of the charts and quickly became a West Coast rap anthem, beloved for its pounding bass line, rhythmic strings and exaggerated enunciation.
Lamar’s Grammys success comes a week before he is due to headline this year’s Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans.
It was the first time he won the prize for Record of the Year, after three previous nominations.
Born in Compton, California, Lamar is renowned as one of contemporary music’s most impactful writers, with his poignant verses offering personal insights while taking on systemic issues such as race relations and structural poverty.
Set to jazz-heavy instrumentals, the Pulitzer Prize winner’s music has made him a household name and a rare artist whose work is commercially successful but who is not dependent on a constant content churn.
He dedicated Sunday’s best record Grammy to his hometown of Los Angeles that is still reeling from recent deadly wildfires, naming several neighborhoods and saying, “You know, this is my neck of the woods.”
AFP
