Looking for rap fans sick and tired of the irresistible “Not Like Us?” by Kendrick Lamar. You won't find them in Compton, the rapper's hometown.
Days after rocking the Kia Forum with his “Pop Out – Ken & Friends” concert on June 16, Lamar filmed his “Not Like Us” at several iconic locations in and around Compton, where more than 1,000 fans came to have the opportunity to star in his latest music video. Over the weekend, the Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winner filmed at locations including Compton City Hall, Enterprise Park, Nickerson Gardens and Tam's Burgers.
In photos and videos shared on social media, Lamar and “Not Like Us” collaborator DJ Mustard can be seen dancing to the song in front of Tam’s Burgers (previously featured on the set of the Los Angeles-centric Super Bowl LVI) as onlookers sing along. Another video shows dozens of fans jumping to the catchy beat of the hit featuring Lamar near the Compton Courthouse.
“COMPTON. PERIOD,” the Compton Cowboys captioned an Instagram photo of Lamar dancing with a crowd.
In addition to local fans, musicians Steve Lacy, Thundercat, Roddy Ricch and YG and NBA star DeMar DeRozan were in attendance, according to multiple social media posts. The star power of Lamar's video shoot carried over from his “Pop Out” concert, which also served as a celebration of West Coast hip-hop.
During the one-night performance, Lamar and Mustard welcomed Los Angeles luminaries, including music mogul Dr. Dre, LA Clipper Russell Westbrook, radio host Big Boy and many, many more, to the Forum stage during their respective presentations.
Kendrick Lamar dances during the filming of the music video for “Not Like Us” at Nickerson Gardens on Saturday.
(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)
At the Juneteenth show, Lamar treated his fans to a mix of old and new music, including five consecutive performances of “Not Like Us,” his not-so-subtle rant against Drake. Since March, the hip-hop icons have traded diss tracks, each alleging troubling behavior on the part of the other. In “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us,” Lamar accused Drake of child sexual abuse and disrespecting Tupac Shakur. On “Family Matters,” Drake (real name Aubrey Graham) accused Lamar of domestic abuse.
Lamar released “Not Like Us” in May and it became an almost instant hit. It also seemingly ended the feud between Lamar and Drake, at least for now.
It is unclear when Lamar will release the “Not Like Us” music video; Representatives for the rapper did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment on Monday. What's clear is that every time the video comes out, “Not Like Us” can be on repeat for Lamar's Los Angeles fans (and Compton co-stars) once again.
Crowds of Kendrick Lamar fans gathered Saturday at the Compton Courthouse, where he filmed the music video for his song “Not Like Us.”
(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)
Times Editor Kailyn Brown and staff photographer Michael Blackshire contributed to this report.
