The city of Compton, California, gained widespread recognition when hip-hop artists N.W.A. burst onto the scene in the late 1980s. Many others have proudly represented their hometown ever since. With Kendrick Lamar’s latest song and video, “ Not Like Us ,” once again shining the spotlight on Compton, newly arrived Sacramento Kings power forward DeMar DeRozan made an appearance in the video.
DeRozan, 34 and a Compton native like Lamar, was a longtime Toronto Raptor. Drake is a die-hard fan and a regular courtside presence at games. This isn’t a problem, according to the basketball star. Though he was excited to appear in Lamar’s video, he assured everyone that “Drake’s still my man.”
In an interview with The Sacramento Bee , DeRozan discussed the significance of Kendrick Lamar’s song, video, and popup show in California. He noted how these events brought unity to Compton with gang members coming together in peace.
“It was fun to be a part of (‘Not Like Us’),” said DeRozan. “For that moment, it was so much bigger than what people look at it as a beef between (Lamar) and Drake. It brought our whole city together in a different type of light where there wasn’t no issues, no violence. Everybody was coming together in a peaceful manner and that was the beauty out of those moments.”
It wasn’t lost on any basketball or California fan that Lamar mentioned DeRozan in the Drake diss song: “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither.”
But DeRozan clarified that all his good between him and Canada’s favorite rapper.
“Drake’s still my man, still my man, none of it changed,” he said. “It’s so easy to get overlooked and look at it for what it looks like, but at the end of the day it’s music, entertainment. Two of the biggest rappers in the world went at it from a competitive standpoint and they battled it out. That’s what you want to see as a fan: Kobe (Bryant) playing (Michael) Jordan 1-on-1 and see who wins, see the trash talking, and whoever wins out of that, you’re still going to have the debate, so that’s all that is.”
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