Kendrick Lamar apparently still has playlists, dance floors, song queues, and airplay going wild over his final Drake diss, "Not Like Us." Moreover, it kept its number two placement on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third week in a row after debuting at number one four weeks ago. This time around, the chart-topping track is once again Post Malone and Morgan Wallen's "I Had Some Help," which topped the Hot 100 (and dethroned the West Coast banger) for the third week in a row. Other notable returning cuts on the chart this week are Tommy Richman's "MILLION DOLLAR BABY," Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," and Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso."

Furthermore, this comes amid rumors propelled by Terrace Martin, plus some other unconfirmed speculation, that Kendrick Lamar is "locked in." A lot of folks obviously took this to mean that he's working on new music with Martin and others in the studio, and die-hard fans are hoping that this could mean an album is on the way. Whether or not that's true is a mystery, and it dangerously invokes the five-year wait and hype before 2022's Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Will we have to wait until 2027 or is this beef scandal the perfect moment to strike?

Surely, we'll learn in due time, but it would certainly make sense numbers-wise for Kendrick Lamar to seize the day. After all, he's not only out-streaming Drake when comparing their diss tracks against each other, but creeped up on his general listenership numbers on Spotify as well. Of course, this doesn't mean much in the grand scheme, and anyone who thinks they can take The Boy down commercially will dream forever. Also, some fans think that it would be a corny move on K.Dot's part to drop something, since it would indicate that this beef either intentionally or unintentionally rolled out the red carpet for it.

But who are we to assume and speculate when the only thing Kendrick Lamar's done in 2024 is drop music and not make any more statements? Still, even if there's no new music for a while, people still have plenty to talk about when it comes to his previous material -– and that of his family. An alleged reference track by the Compton lyricist for Baby Keem's "BULLIES" recently surfaced, once again opening up a debate about ghostwriters, reference tracks, writing for other artists, and whether this is a condemnable offense. But ironically enough, Billboard suggests that no matter what conversations people are having, they're still bumping "Not Like Us."

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.

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