Something’s brewing in hip-hop, and Kendrick Lamar just sent the internet into overdrive by pulling the ultimate digital power move: vanishing his biggest Drake diss track, then bringing it back like nothing happened.
On Monday, fans woke up to find that Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us music video had simply disappeared from his YouTube page. The video that had racked up over 400 million views was gone without explanation. The internet did what the internet does—it immediately started spiraling. But here’s where it gets interesting: the video reappeared on his official YouTube channel just hours later. Except now it had a reset view count of zero. That’s right—400 million views, wiped clean.
He wasn’t done either. His collaboration with SZA, Luther, from his GNX album, got the same treatment: removed, then reuploaded. Even more telling, his Drake diss track euphoria reportedly disappeared from Apple Music earlier that day before making its way back to the platform. So what’s really going on here?
The timing is almost too perfect to ignore. Drake’s dropping his Iceman album on May 15—that’s just four days away—and Kendrick’s essentially dusted off the most devastating weaponry from his previous arsenal and put it front and center. Whether he’s consciously signaling he’s ready for round two or just getting into position remains unclear. But one thing’s certain: Kendrick’s got everyone’s attention, the beef is back in the cultural conversation, and Drake’s about to enter a very crowded room when Iceman drops.
This could be a calculated power play before a major release. Or it could just be a technical glitch. But in the world of hip-hop beefs, coincidences this convenient don’t really exist.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
