Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” video mixes pointed references to Drake and OVO with scenes celebrating Lamar’s Compton community. The push-ups, owl piñata, family appearance, and local cameos are visible on screen; some explanations are supported by reporting, while others remain interpretations rather than confirmed intent.
Co-directed by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free and filmed in Compton, the video was released on July 4, 2024. Its details make more sense when separated into what viewers can see, what reporting connects to the feud, and what remains a plausible reading. The video is not only a sequence of insults: cameos and neighborhood scenes also give it the character of a West Coast and Compton celebration.
1. The push-ups point back to Drake’s “Push Ups”
The video opens with Lamar doing push-ups on cinder blocks in a metallic room. BET connects the image to Drake’s diss track “Push Ups,” which had itself referenced Lamar’s push-up imagery. Complex adds another possible layer: Drake’s “drop and give me 50” taunt and claims about Lamar’s split from TDE. That percentage-split reading is context reported by Complex, not confirmed proof of what Lamar intended.
BET’s breakdown of the opening and other video details · Complex’s interpretation of the push-up scene
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2. The owl piñata turns OVO imagery into a joke
OVO is associated with an owl, and Lamar hits an owl piñata in time with the song’s “wop” refrain. The video then displays the disclaimer: “NO OVHOES WERE HARMED DURING THE MAKING OF THIS VIDEO.” The line riffs on the familiar film disclaimer and makes the OVO reference difficult to miss. It is a direct visual jab, though it does not establish a precise meaning for every other owl image.
Complex on the owl piñata and disclaimer
3. The caged live owl invites interpretation, not certainty
Near the end, Lamar looks at a live owl and walks away, leaving it in a cage. Given OVO’s owl association, many viewers read the image as another taunt—perhaps suggesting Drake or OVO is contained or silenced. Complex advances that interpretation; The Washington Post describes the caged bird and the lonely final moment without treating a single allegory as settled. The image is on screen, but its exact intended symbolism has not been confirmed.
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Complex’s reading of the final owl scene · The Washington Post on the video’s closing imagery
4. Whitney Alford, the children, and Dave Free appear amid “Family Matters” references
Lamar dances with his partner, Whitney Alford, and their children while lyrics invoke “Family Matters” and “God’s plan.” The scene follows Drake’s diss track “Family Matters,” which included allegations about Lamar’s relationship and the paternity of a child. Those were disputed allegations, not established facts. Alford’s appearance is a public family moment, not proof for or against private claims.
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Dave Free is credited as co-director. In the context of Drake’s claims involving Free, his credited role adds a pointed response to the video’s framing; it does not resolve the underlying private allegations.
5. Mustard’s Blue Jays cap may be a Drake jab—but he denied that was the plan
Mustard, who produced “Not Like Us,” appears wearing a Toronto Blue Jays cap. The Toronto connection led outlets to read the hat as a jab at Drake. But Complex reports that Mustard denied the cap was intentional, saying he had brought several hats. That counterpoint matters: the visual supports the interpretation, but the producer’s reported account keeps it from being a confirmed signal.
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Complex on Mustard’s cap and his explanation
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.6. DeMar DeRozan’s appearance is a Compton homecoming with Toronto subtext
Compton-born basketball star DeMar DeRozan appears as Lamar raps, “I’m glad Deroz came home y’all didn’t deserve him neither.” The line nods to DeRozan’s roots and return to his hometown. Complex connects the reference’s extra edge to his past with the Toronto Raptors and his bond with Drake. It is best understood as a hometown salute with a Toronto/Drake undertone—not as evidence that DeRozan publicly chose a side in the feud.
BET on DeRozan and the Compton cameos · Complex on the Toronto connection
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Not every detail is a diss
The video also features Tommy the Clown and TDE’s Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, among other local connections. Those appearances help establish the work as a Compton-centered celebration as well as a battle-track visual. The July 4 release prompted some commentary that the holiday reinforced the song’s “colonizer” taunt, but reporting has not established that as the directors’ stated motive. As The FADER cautions, speculation around small details can outrun what the video or its creators actually confirm.
Variety on the Compton-set video and its cameos · The Washington Post on the July 4 release · The FADER on the fan theories around the video
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