Instagram/Drake & Kendrick Lamar & Music Two years on, Kendrick Lamar's *Not Like Us* still shapes hip-hop, as Drake battles UMG in court over its defamatory claims. May 5, 2026 AceShowbiz - Two years have passed since Kendrick Lamar released his incendiary track Not Like Us, yet its echoes still resonate loudly in hip-hop circles. At the time of the song's release, the political and cultural landscape was different: Joe Biden was the U.S. president, the phrase "Brat Summer" had not yet gained momentum, and online discourse had not been dominated by AI-generated content.