Kendrick’s Not Like Us music video pits former Raptor DeMar DeRozan against Drake | CBC News

After a interval of (relative) silence, the meat between Drake and Kendrick Lamar seems to be again on. 

Late Thursday night time — and months after the final official diss monitor from both rapper — Lamar launched the music video to Not Like Us. That tune reached No. 1 on the Billboard 100 when it debuted again in May, then shortly thereafter turned essentially the most streamed American hip-hop tune in a single day.

The monitor is full of photographs at Drake — careening from playful jabs at his OVO firm to precise allegations of criminality. But there’s one second within the video that could be significantly powerful for the Toronto musician to take.

Filmed round Lamar’s hometown of Compton, Calif., the video incorporates a who’s-who of visitor stars: from Mustard, who produced the monitor, carrying a personalized Toronto Blue Jays baseball cap to dancer Tommy the Clown and Top Dog Entertainment CEO Anthony (Top Dawg) Tiffith.

In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it further cameo, although, is a painful inclusion: NBA participant DeMar DeRozan.

While born in Compton, DeRozan performed 9 seasons with Drake’s beloved Toronto Raptors, earlier than being traded in 2018 for Kawhi Leonard. The transfer was particularly controversial as DeRozan had been the face of the franchise — as soon as nicknamed “Mr. I Am Toronto” — and led the workforce to the playoffs 5 straight instances.

In 2016, regardless of profitable presents, he said his “mindset has always been Toronto” earlier than being out of the blue jettisoned. Though he initially had harsh phrases for Raptors administration, he seemingly got here to a rocky peace with the transfer — and the workforce.

So with Drake working as international ambassador and type of unofficial mascot for the franchise — usually sporting their gear, often showing video games and immediately tying his OVO brand to the team’s training facility — DeRozan’s look within the video appears particularly pointed.

The basketball participant seems on the 2:43 mark of the video, in the course of the line: “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither.”

DeRozan vs. Drake

But it is not the primary time DeRozan has taken sides within the feud. On June 19, Lamar hosted a live performance on the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., for his Juneteenth Pop Off live performance. That present featured a mixture of up-and-coming L.A. rappers alongside established hip-hop names, together with Tyler, The Creator, Steve Lacy and YG — performing in entrance of a crowd of 17,000 that included The Weeknd, LeBron James, Ayo Edebiri and Rick Ross.

When he took the stage himself, Lamar carried out his Drake diss songs Euphoria, 6:16 in LA and Not Like Us — repeating the latter monitor over 4 full instances. For the triumphant set, he was joined by Dr Dre, Schoolboy Q, Roddy Rich, NBA star Russell Westbrook, Mustard, Tommy the Clown and — you guessed it — DeRozan.

The music video itself incorporates a host of different taunts against Drake, together with Lamar destroying an owl-shaped piñata (OVO’s brand) and caging a dwell barn owl.

It additionally bolsters defences against Drake’s taunts. in his tune Family Matters, Drake accused Lamar of bodily abusing his spouse, and alleged that considered one of his youngsters was fathered by one other man. In an apparent retort, Not Like Us function’s Lamar’s household entrance and centre. He stands behind his son Enoch at one level, and in one other options his spouse, Whitney, performing a formidable crip stroll. 

Whether this newest shot will reignite the meat is unclear. Last month, Drake quietly deleted all Instagram posts associated to the feud, weeks after he appeared to point he was placing Lamar behind him with a narrative captioned “Good times. Summer vibes up next.”

And persevering with the battle would not appear to do anybody a lot good. Following the elevated notoriety, there have been a number of tried break-ins of Drake’s Toronto house, whereas his safety guard was shot exterior of the property on May 7.

It is unclear whether or not any of those incidents had been immediately tied to the meat, and neither Lamar nor Drake have commented — although the capturing occurred simply days after Lamar used a Google Maps picture of Drake’s mansion as his cowl artwork for a monitor.  

This previous weekend, a couple of weeks after showing at Lamar’s Juneteenth live performance, rapper Rick Ross was assaulted exterior of a Vancouver live performance venue following his efficiency. The Vancouver Police Department is reportedly wanting into the assault against Ross, who was additionally namechecked in Drake’s diss monitor Push Ups all the way in which again in April.