Serena Williams Steals the Show with Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ at the 2024 ESPYs, Making Fun of Drake
After his feud with Kendrick Lamar, Drake has once more been turned into a comic punchbag, this time by Serena Williams, his ex-girlfriend.
On Thursday, July 11, the tennis great hosted the 2024 ESPY Awards. During her opening monologue, she unintentionally brought up the 6 Gods’ well-known rivalry with Kendrick.
“If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us — not a single one of us, not even me — should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” Williams joked.
The Compton native then Crip Walked to Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” as the hit diss song began playing, with Williams adding: “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they’re gonna Forrest Gump him. Seats taken!”
Drake and Serena Williams are rumored to have dated in 2011, with the Canadian rapper seen at many of her tennis matches around this time.
The alleged fling was even mentioned by Kendrick on “Not Like Us” when he rapped: “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither/ From Alondra down to Central, n-gga better not speak on Serena.”
Williams also recently revealed that she’s a big fan of the chart-topping diss track, saying at Essence Festival: “I love that song. It’s like the hit of the summer. When they play that jam, I’m jamming. That jam is jamming.”
In 2022, Drake took a shot at Serena’s husband Alexis Ohanian on his Her Loss track “Middle of the Ocean,” rapping: “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie/ He claim we don’t got a problem but no, boo, it’s like you comin’ for sushi/ We might pop up on ’em at will like Suzuki.”
Ohanian later responded to Drizzy’s taunts on social media, writing: “The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the best at whatever I do — including being the best groupie for my wife & daughter.”
Drake also famously got into a conflict with Common over their mutual interest in Williams, leading to diss songs like “Sweet” and “Stay Schemin.’”
The Chicago native recently reflected on the feud during an appearance on Drink Champs, saying: “I felt like Drake was sending me a couple of shots, subliminals. I don’t know what motivated him to send me some shots but I think [it was because] we mess with one of the same girls. You know, wars happen over women. That’s just what it is.”