Music
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Smashes Records and Sparks LA Library’s Hoot-Worthy Response
Kendrick Lamar has struck gold again with his “Not Like Us” music video, amassing millions of views and igniting widespread conversation. Currently boasting around 24.5 million views, the video has fans buzzing and dissecting every detail. One unexpected reaction came from the Los Angeles Public Library, which jokingly considered “retiring” their owl puppet mascot after Kendrick’s playful jab at Drake, symbolized by smashing an OVO owl piñata in the video.
The library’s owl puppet, a staple in children’s programming, became the center of a light-hearted jest on TikTok, fueled by the “Certified PDF-file” line in “Not Like Us.” While the owl predates the Kendrick-Drake rivalry, the humor struck a chord with fans, further propelling the video’s popularity. Breaking records, the video now holds the title for the most views for a rap video within 24 hours this year, cementing its place in viral video history.
Beyond the owl antics, “Not Like Us” is rich with symbolism and subtle jabs. Co-directed by Kendrick and Dave Free, the video addresses Drake’s claims of tension, particularly those insinuated in tracks like “Family Matters” and “The Heart Part 6.” Drake’s allegations about the paternity of Kendrick’s son were met with appearances by Kendrick’s partner, Whitney Alford, and their children, seemingly refuting Drake’s accusations.
As fans continue to unravel the video’s layers and speculate on potential album hints, “Not Like Us” remains a cultural phenomenon. Whether this leads to more owl-themed jokes or a deeper dive into Kendrick and Drake’s ongoing saga, one thing is certain: Kendrick Lamar knows how to keep us all watching and talking.
Artist Spotlight
“Subterranean Homesick Blues” finds a new direction through Ghost of Panama
Rearranging a song that carries six decades of cultural weight is a creative challenge, but Ghost of Panama approaches “Subterranean Homesick Blues” with clear purpose. The rock band radically reworks Bob Dylan’s counter-culture hit, reshaping its identity while keeping its rebellious spirit. It’s a tribute to musical heritage and a statement of artistic independence all in one.
This new interpretation is very much shaped by the production, made at Ghost of Panama’s home studio in West London. The setting allows an intimate approach to reinterpreting a familiar song and lets the group engage directly with the material, taking it in a new artistic direction.
“Subterranean Homesick Blues” centers on the tension between conservation and transformation. Ghost of Panama is true to the song’s rebellious spirit without adding to its legacy, and this approach gives the release an adventurous feel, grounded in countercultural energy but driven by a desire to see what the composition can become in a different musical context.
Their version of this 60-year-old classic shows that respecting a song’s history can also mean breaking the rules and finding new ways to express its spirit. Fundamentally, “Subterranean Homesick Blues” presents Ghost of Panama as artists who want to engage with the past without being tied to it. The release’s strongest identity is a familiar heritage reimagined through a singularly forward-looking creative vision.
Artist Spotlight
“NO MORE” by Amanda Holley connects healing, awakening, and survival
“NO MORE“ carries that kind of emotional weight, and some songs feel like they come from lived experience but reach for something bigger. Amanda Holley blends R&B and soul, turning a lifetime of survival into a vision of healing, awakening, and the determination to move beyond what caused the pain.
“NO MORE“ is a healing anthem for people who have gone through bad experiences and reached a place of higher awareness, but it’s also an emotionally charged protest. The duality is introspective and outward-looking at the same time, turning personal survival into a broader declaration that some experiences, conditions, or cycles should end.
Holley had a premonition of the song six months before the world went into global shutdown. In the vocal booth, working out melodies with her collaborators, she pictured people in the streets. Those images were hard to imagine at the time, but subsequent events would make them painfully familiar.
“NO MORE“ is given a particularly contemplative underpinning by the context. The identity of R&B and soul leaves room for emotion. The song’s themes link survival, awakening, resistance, and the need for change. Amanda Holley is an artist using music to process personal endurance and a broader sense of social awakening. It’s got a complicated significance, and its release feels like a glimpse of a moment when personal intuition and public reality collided in an unexpected way.
Photo Credit: Yulia Shusharina
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