In a surprising turn of events, Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss track “Not Like Us” was banned from being played at Michael Rubin’s recent Hamptons white party. The decision was made out of respect for Drake, who was in attendance at the exclusive event.
Appearing on The Breakfast Club on Wednesday (August 14), Michael Rubin, the billionaire founder of Fanatics, confirmed that his July 4 bash did not feature K. Dot’s chart-topping track. Rubin explained that he wanted to avoid any potential discomfort for his long-time friend, Drake, who is currently embroiled in a feud with Kendrick Lamar.
“It was true. Drake’s [been] my friend for a long time, I’m not gonna invite him and then have, you know… Look, he’s obviously going through a little bit of a battle right now. I’m not gonna have him come there and [be in battle mode],” Rubin said. “I didn’t think it was appropriate so I just sent a note that said, ‘Hey, let’s not play anyone’s music that’s feuding with anyone that’s there.’”
Rubin emphasized that the decision was entirely his own and not influenced by any pressure from Drake. However, despite his best efforts, the song did make an appearance during a pre-party barbecue.
“The day before, we had a small barbecue for a few hours that was supposed to be 30 people; it turned into 200 people for about 10 hours,” Rubin explained. “When they turned the music on in my house, they put [the Spotify playlist] RapCaviar on and ‘Not Like Us’ came on. I’m like, ‘Get that off!’ [Drake] was pulling up soon.”
Despite the ban, Drake still faced some ridicule from Kendrick Lamar fans after attending the party. The Toronto native was one of several A-listers at the event, which included stars like Lil Wayne, Tom Brady, Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, Kim Kardashian, and Jake Paul.
A particular photo shared on Instagram by Rubin captured Drake looking noticeably older, leading to a flood of jokes about his appearance and ongoing feud with Kendrick. Comments ranged from “Drake aged like 20 years since the beef” to “Drake look like he been through the ringer.”
While Drake partied in the Hamptons, Kendrick Lamar added fuel to the fire by releasing the highly anticipated video for “Not Like Us,” featuring more jabs at his rival.
