Kendrick Lamar’s red-hot (and incredibly catchy) Drake diss “Not Like Us” was heard everywhere from basketball arenas to bar mitzvahs all summer, but one event it wasn’t played at was Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin’s annual all-white Fourth of July party.
In a new interview with The Breakfast ClubRubin confirmed that the song was banned at his request, showing that the downtrodden Canadian rapper at least has one good friend left. Watch the full clip below.
“It’s true,” Rubin said when asked about the rumor. “Drake has been my friend for a long time. I’m not going to invite him – and he’s obviously going through a bit of a crisis right now – I’m not going to invite him here… I just didn’t think it was appropriate.”
He added: “So I sent a message and said, ‘Hey, let’s not play the music of someone who is in a fight with someone (at the party).'”
When interviewer Loren LoRosa asked if Drake made the request himself, Rubin insisted, “It was my decision. I just thought it was the right thing to do.”
Not finished sharing, Rubin revealed that he had a close call at a barbecue the day before when Spotify’s Rap Caviar playlist was playing in the background and “Not Like Us” was playing. When Rubin realized Drake was “coming soon,” he quickly skipped the song.
While Rubin is clearly a good friend, this story doesn’t reflect well on Drake, whose many haters are likely making up punchlines about him needing a place to escape the feud with Kendrick.
Meanwhile, ScHoolboy Q strongly implied in July that Drake had something to do with the cancellation of his Toronto show by Canadian police.
Editor’s Note: Read why “Not Like Us” is one of the best songs released this year.
