Six weeks ago, it gave the impression of the Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud had gone from a fun, dreamy juxtaposition of lyrics and jokes to an unsightly, joyless fight based on accusations, dark songs, and discomfort. “Drake has fallen”Family matters” who accused Lamar of domestic violence. Just a few minutes later, Lamar released “Meet the Grahams”, a bleak, hateful track claiming that Drake fathered a mystery child. While this move gave Lamar the upper hand within the battle, it felt like all of us lost a few of the joy we got from the prospect of two of rap’s biggest stars releasing their most dynamic music to prove who was one of the best.

Less than a day after “Meet the Grahams” hit the Internet, Lamar posted “Not like us” and every part modified. The song was the ultimate knockout punch for Drake. And on June 11, when he performed it five times at the tip of Wednesday’s “Popup: Ken and friends”, turning a song – and a moment – ​​centered on his disdain for a rival rapper right into a moment of unity. And love.

When it was announced that Lamar can be hosting a concert on the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, fans immediately began speculating what Kung Fu Kenny would do throughout the show. After all, Drake’s autopsy was so strategic, calculated and ruthless that anything was possible. Would he record a brand new song? Would he parade every rapper who has ever insulted Drake? Will any devastating recent information be revealed about Toronto?

Lamar didn’t do any of this stuff. Instead, he performed his Drake diss tracks interspersed with a few of his biggest hits, making a show equal to anything we have seen in rap, and one of the best rap concert I’ve ever watched on a TV screen.

But do not get it twisted: he began with Drake’s stuff. Namely, opening their set with a full six-minute version of “Euphoria”, his first full battle song. Artists don’t normally perform rap songs for that long at concert events, especially ones which might be mostly just bars. And they actually haven’t got an audience screaming every word. But “Euphoria” is different. It’s probably the greatest diss tracks ever released, stuffed with lines like “” that might be quoted endlessly. Lamar’s breath control throughout the performance allowed him to articulate each line of the song with perfect inflection. And while “Euphoria” features an infinite series of Drake jabs, when you have a look at the fans who were rapping, they were screaming the lyrics with pure joy on their faces. Because Lamar’s concert was greater than only a fierce series of attacks on the enemy. It was a celebration.

Much of the show’s content was a visit down memory lane for Lamar. He reminded us that he at all times had hits and anthems like “Money Trees” and “Humble.” The former was joined by guest Jay Rock together with the remaining of Black Hippy, Schoolboy Q and AB-Soul, jumping and joining in on the songs as a part of the group’s long-awaited reunion. At the tip, we were shocked by Dr. Dre’s performance, which was the one drawback of the series, as that is one other example alleged perpetrators of violence are featured on platforms in moments that should promote ideas of Black unity, which once more puts all of us, especially Black women, within the position of getting to overlook harm as a way to enjoy.

After Dr. Dre left the stage, it was time for the important event: “Not Like Us”.

When Lamar released this song a couple of weeks ago, there have been dark clouds hanging over the battle. If “Euphoria” was Lamar as rap’s big, bad boogeyman, “Not Like Us” was him because the gentle but dangerous giant putting your entire West Coast on his back and crushing every part in his path.

With one infectious, silly and fun song, Lamar turned a dispute right into a moment of joy. Yes, the song comprises a few of the most cutting and harsh lyrics of this battle – along with saying that Drake was attempting to colonize Atlanta’s sound, Lamar outright calls him a pedophile. But it also became greater than a song about Drake.

“Not Like Us” is a rebuke to culture vultures. It’s a song about reclaiming black American culture from individuals who dive in, take what they need from it, and take a look at to steal it for themselves. It’s a song that evokes pride and joy beyond a straightforward one-on-one rap argument. Yes, Drake was targeted by the bomb, however the shrapnel of “Not Like Us” could land on anyone inside a five-mile ideological radius. When the song was released viral clips it showed parties stuffed with Black people happily singing, dancing and hugging one another. “Not Like Us” became a #1 hit and the song of the summer.

Lamar understood the song’s cultural impact. So he ended his set with a performance of “Not Like Us.” The first three seconds of the primary performance had your entire Forum on their feet as fans went right into a frenzy over the song they desired to sing – but Lamar stopped after the primary verse. He then began the song over and fell silent while your entire crowd rapped every word. Let me remind you that the song is 6 weeks old. The third time, he rapped the song on stage with producer DJ Mustard.

He did it again because the stage began to fill with many luminaries from all walks of life on the West Coast, from NBA players Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan to rappers YG and Schoolboy Q and even Tommy the Clown. Lamar mentioned that the stage was stuffed with people from different parts of Los Angeles, representing different gangs, a few of them rivals, all gathered peacefully and celebrating the Juneteenth party. Then we got the song again. And over again.

Even though Lamar rapped about Drake, it didn’t appear to be Drake was anywhere near the song anymore. Instead, the words “they don’t like us” were a call to preserve our culture and identity within the face of those that attempt to take it away. It was a moment of triumph in a city where a few of the biggest streaming events of the previous few years were the funerals of rapper Nipsey Hussle and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. It was like a balm for your entire region.

The Pop Out concert, and particularly the ending, was a moment for Kendrick and your entire West Coast to remind us that they’re more necessary than their tragedies. They are resilient of their calmness. Steadfast of their happiness. They are unwavering of their love for this culture and unabashed of their desire to bop when joy is at their feet. These are the things they jumped out and showed us.

Five times.

Five performances of the song which is the unofficial anthem of June ’24. “Not Like Us” is an iconic West Coast song that can never fade away. He can be remembered for a way he ended Lamar’s victory lap over Drake. He can be remembered for the unforgettable moments and the dancing we saw on stage on Wednesday evening. But it is going to even be remembered because the song that turned the battle against negativity right into a likelihood to do not forget that we were high.

As Lamar and about 50 of his closest friends left the Kia Forum stage, “Not Like Us” played for the last time. It reminded us that while the unique purpose of the song was to place the ultimate nail in Drake’s proverbial coffin, Drake’s destruction is now a byproduct of a song that united, renewed and remembered.

In this fashion, a battle based on hate changed into an anthem that showed us love.