“Not like us? Not like us is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent. Now, if you identify with the man that I represent … “

“This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering.

“He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes and not be afraid to share the mistakes and can dig deep down into fear-based ideologies or experiences to be able to express them without feeling like he’s less of a man.

“If I’m thinking of ‘Not Like Us,’ I’m thinking of me and whoever identifies with that.”

– Kendrick Lamar responds to friend and collaborator SZA asking what “Not Like Us” means to him in an interview for Harper’s Bazaar titled “Kendrick Lamar’s Inner Drive.” The artist-to-artist conversation is the first time K. Dot has been interviewed since releasing the seemingly career-ending diss track on May 4, 2024 and announcing he would headline the Super Bowl Halftime Performance in 2025. Also, Lamar’s cover is only the fifth time Bazaar has had a solo male cover star.