Barack Obama listens to everything from Charli XCX to Shaboozey, but he apparently didn’t like Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” leaving fans wondering if the former president is on Team Drake. While “Not Like Us” has proven to be one of the biggest songs of the summer so far, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Although the song has charted multiple times on the Hot 100, it does not appear on Obama’s recently released summer 2023 playlist – even though the playlist includes entries from hip-hop favorites such as GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion and Saweetie.
Do you think Michelle made Barack backspace when he typed in our playlist?
— Grip Bayless✨ (@talleyberrybaby) 12 August 2024
The song spawned a browser game, inspired part of Serena Williams’ ESPY Awards monologue, and ultimately brought Kendrick Lamar into contact with Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans. The song was even a big hit during the Olympics, with U.S. basketball stars Steph Curry and LeBron James debating its merits at shootaround.
It’s not that Obama doesn’t like the Compton rapper’s music; he’s hung out with the rapper on several occasions and even admitted to having him on a much more private playlist. He even predicted that Kendrick would topple Drake in a theoretical rap battle eight years before the two actually had a lyrical clash. Perhaps excluding “Not Like Us” was an oversight, or maybe he just wanted to keep it kosher for the playlist, which still feels like it has an obligation to be at least a little decent and less hateful.
