Legendary music producer and Aftermath Records executive Dr. Dre has finally opened up about his stance during the heated rap rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, particularly shedding light on why he sided with Lamar over the issues that arose. The feud reached a fever pitch last year when Kendrick Lamar released his explosive track Not Like Us, a response to Drake, which quickly became a chart-topping hit. The song earned multiple Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, solidifying its impact on the music industry.
In June of the same year, Kendrick Lamar hosted a one-night-only event, The Pop Out, in Los Angeles. The concert was filled with surprise guests and featured Kendrick performing almost every song released during his feud with Drake. To close out the night, Dr. Dre made a surprise appearance, joining Kendrick on stage to perform snippets of iconic tracks like Still D.R.E. and California Love before introducing Not Like Us with the now-famous whisper: “Pssst, I see dead people.” Kendrick went on to perform the track five times in a row, much to the crowd’s delight.
Dr. Dre has long been a mentor to Kendrick Lamar, having signed him to his Aftermath label in 2011. Recently, Dre appeared on the debut episode of The Unusual Suspects podcast, hosted by Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell, where the conversation turned to Kendrick’s Pop Out concert and his ongoing rivalry with Drake. Dre took the opportunity to explain why he chose to show his support for Lamar during the feud.
While Dre emphasized that he typically avoids taking sides in rap beefs, he made it clear that his loyalty to Kendrick was cemented when Drake crossed a line. He shared: “I love that record. I’ma say this on camera. I don’t want to get negative. My whole shit is about being positive and moving forward and all that shit, but the fact I heard Drake say something negative about Kendrick’s wife and his kids, that made me say, ‘Ah, adios!’”
Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show on February 9, marking a monumental moment in his career. As of now, SZA has been confirmed as a special guest, though many are speculating that Dr. Dre might make an appearance as well. If so, it would be the second time the two collaborate at the Halftime Show, after Kendrick joined Dre’s headlining performance in 2022.
Not Like Us was recently ranked as NME’s second-best song of 2024, with Fred Garratt-Stanley praising the track for its sharp character assassinations and pointed critiques, especially Kendrick’s portrayal of Drake as a “colonizer.” The song’s intense wordplay and venomous energy continue to make waves in the music world.
