DeMar DeRozan balances loyalty to Kendrick Lamar with respect for Drake following Not Like Us cameo

DeMar DeRozan, recently signed to the Sacramento Kings, has expressed his enduring appreciation for Drake despite his participation in Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" music video, which includes disparaging remarks about Drake. In an interview with FOX40's Sean Cunningham, DeRozan emphasized his long-standing relationship with Lamar, stating, "Love Drake, always can play him [in Sacramento's Golden 1 Center]. Kendrick's been a friend of mine, family. Damn near family, for a long time... We're from the same city, we grew up down there in the same neighborhood."

DeRozan's cameo in the music video coincided with his appearance alongside Russell Westbrook and Lamar at the rappers' Juneteenth concert, where "Not Like Us" was performed live for the first time. This video, which criticizes Drake, was released amid a brewing feud between the two artists. DeRozan, who played for Drake's hometown team, the Toronto Raptors, for the first nine seasons of his NBA career, is depicted in the video during a line that seems to reflect his return to his roots: "I'm glad DeRoz came home, y'all didn't deserve him neither."

This alignment with Lamar is rooted in a shared upbringing in Compton, California, where both DeRozan and Lamar attended high schools merely three miles apart. DeRozan shared in a 2021 interview with NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson, "I knew Kendrick growing up... It's a small city. You find motivation from whoever comes before you. And everybody always supports one another, the ones that are coming up."

DeRozan's participation in Lamar's video not only underscores their close bond but also brings this relationship to the forefront, making it more public. His introduction to the Kings' home crowd with "Not Like Us" playing in the background at Golden 1 Center signifies the importance of this connection in his personal and professional narrative.