LOS ANGELES, United States, Feb 3, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Kendrick Lamar on Sunday
won the Grammys for Record and Song of the Year for his smash diss track "Not
Like Us," one of a series of tracks from the Los Angeles-area native that
skewer hip-hop rival Drake.

Lamar's scathing song was released as part of a lengthy feud with the
Canadian rapper. The Record of the Year prize honor the overall performance
of a song, while Song of the Year recognizes songwriting.

On the night, he won in all five categories in which he was nominated, all
for "Not Like Us." The others were best rap song and performance, as well as
best music video.

For both best rap song and performance, he was nominated a second time for
the track "Like That."

"Nothing more powerful than rap music," the 37-year-old Lamar said in
accepting the top song trophy. "We are the culture."

Lamar released "Not Like Us" in May 2024, the fifth of a collection of songs
skewering the Canadian rapper that dropped less than a day after his previous
single, "Meet the Grahams."

"Not Like Us" led critics and followers to proclaim Lamar the winner of the
battle, which saw the rappers trade barbs including allegations of domestic
abuse and sexual misconduct involving children.

A record-breaking streaming giant, "Not Like Us" catapulted to the top of the
charts and quickly became a West Coast rap anthem, beloved for its pounding
bass line, rhythmic strings and exaggerated enunciation.

Lamar's Grammys success comes a week before he is due to headline this year's
Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans.

It was the first time he won the prize for Record of the Year, after three
previous nominations.

Born in Compton, California, Lamar is renowned as one of contemporary music's
most impactful writers, with his poignant verses offering personal insights
while taking on systemic issues such as race relations and structural
poverty.

Set to jazz-heavy instrumentals, the Pulitzer Prize winner's music has made
him a household name and a rare artist whose work is commercially successful
but who is not dependent on a constant content churn.

He dedicated Sunday's best record Grammy to his hometown of Los Angeles that
is still reeling from recent deadly wildfires, naming several neighborhoods
and saying, "You know, this is my neck of the woods."