Kendrick Lamar recently dropped the highly anticipated video for his hit single “Not Like Us.” The video amassed over 34 million views on YouTube in just three days, and there’s still a lot of symbolism to unpack within the clip. Here are some Easter eggs people can’t stop talking about.
The video's Fourth of July release
Many have speculated that the red, white and blue apparel and color palettes across the video are a deliberate move on K.Dot’s part. It’s also understood that the song has turned into an unifying anthem between the Bloods and Crips gangs.
Kendrick's 50 push-ups
In direct response to the command that Drake delivers on his diss track “Push Ups,” Kendrick does a set of 50 push-ups in a makeshift cell, poking fun at the Canadian rapper. In the chorus, Drake told K.Dot to “drop and give him 50,” which is exactly what he did.
Kendrick teases a new song.
At the top of the video, K.Dot dropped some never-before-heard bars and dropped a snippet from an unreleased song. The lyrics go as follows: “I am reincarnated/ I’m a star gazer/ Life goes on I need all my babies/ Woke up looking for broccoli/ High-key, keep a horn on me, that Kamasi/ IP the ownership/ The blueprint is by me/ Mr. Get Off, Get off at my feet.”
While there haven’t been any certified ledes, it’s a glaring indicator that Lamar might drop new music soon.
Dave Free co-directed the video.
The video’s ending credits show that Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar co-directed the clip. Drake suggested that there was inner turmoil between Free and Lamar. In particular, Drake claimed that Free is the alleged true father of Lamar’s children. Based on their chemistry in this video, it’s safe to conclude that all is well with the pgLang camp.
The owl-shaped piñata
In the video, Kendrick repeatedly hits an owl-shaped piñata with a stick. With this scene, it can be inferred that Kendrick is taking the cake and pummeling Drake with the ongoing success of “Not Like Us” since an owl is the logo for his OVO Sound label.
The caged owl
Doubling down on these owl/OVO references, K.Dot has a scene where he looks over a caged owl, which symbolizes his complete authority over Drake and hints at the fact that Drake is subject to his will.
Kendrick’s hopscotch stroll
As soon as he gets to what is probably the most popular bar on the entire track, “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor,” K.Dot plays hopscotch. This scene seemingly brings home the bar and reinforces allegations that Drake is a pedophile.
Furthermore, toward the end of the video, K. Dot and Free are seen vibing in front of some shipping containers, which suggests that Drake may be associated with human trafficking.
Kendrick's TDE alliance
Drake has alluded to the speculation that there was inner strife throughout TDE over monetary contract splits. However, some of the biggest names in TDE show up alongside K.Dot in the video, including Top Dawg, Punch, Jay Rock, ScHoolBoy Q and Ab-Soul.
Any Easter eggs we missed? Sound off in the comments! In the meantime, check out the “Not Like Us” music video below:
