The Recording Academy released the official list of Grammy Award nominees on Friday, November 8, 2024, for the event scheduled for February 2025.
Kendrick Lamar, one of the Grammys' most celebrated hip-hop artists, earned five nominations for his chart-topping single Not Like Us, including Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Record of the Year, and Best Music Video.
Not Like Us reflects the ongoing tension between Lamar and Drake, following a tumultuous year marked by public jabs and serious allegations exchanged between the two rappers.
Did you read this?
Their feud dates back to the early 2010s which further escalated after Lamar’s release of “Like That” featuring fellow rapper Future and hit producer Metro Boomin.
Back in March, Lamar dissed rapper J. Cole and Drake in the song as a response to Drake and J. Cole’s 2023 song “First Person Shooter” where Cole claims that he, Drake, and Lamar are the “big three” in today’s rap music.
In April, Cole responded to Lamar on the diss track “7 Minute Drill” but in the week following its release, Cole apologized for the song and removed it from streaming services.
Drake then released the songs ‘Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle”. The song was later deleted from social media over copyright concerns in respect to late hip hop legend Tupac Shakur.
In response, Lamar released “Euphoria” on April 30th and “6:16 in LA” in which Drake later released “Family Matters” where Drake accused Lamar of being a domestic abuser and alleging that one of Lamar’s children was fathered by record producer Dave Free.
Less than an hour later, Lamar released “Meet The Grahams” where he accuses Drake of sex trafficking allegations and fathering a second secret child.
Lamar then released “Not Like Us” accusing the rapper of generally disrespecting the rap scene.
Several critics have suggested that Lamar is seen as having the upper hand in the feud by popular consensus, though commentators have offered a mixed response, both praising and critiquing how each rapper handled the accusations.
Beyond the feud, Lamar is set to headline the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans this February, where his performance is highly anticipated.
