Kendrick Lamar and Drake are set to go head to head in a key category at the MTV VMA’s.
The nominations for the awards were announced with Kendrick up for 10 different gongs while Drake has just the one nomination.
With $ome $exy $ong 4 U almost entirely shut out at the awards, Drake and Kendrick will only do battle in the category of Best Hip Hop.
Kendrick is nominated for “Not Like Us” while Drake is up for “Nokia”.
The Compton superstar is also nominated for Artist of the Year, Video of the Year and Best Album among others.
He has also received a nomination for Best Direction as he co-directed the video for “Not Like Us” with Dave Free.
Kendrick also recently received a number of Emmy nominations relating to his record breaking performance at the Super Bowl halftime show in February.
The iconic performance, which featured cameos from Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams and Mustard, is nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Music Direction, and Outstanding Choreography (Variety/Reality).
Kendrick previously won an Emmy for his role in the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show in which he performed alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent and Mary J. Blige.
Samuel L. Jackson previously claimed that the performance was “revolutionary”.
The iconic actor appeared on Paloma Faith’s Mad Sad Bad podcast and said: “I didn’t know what they were doing. It was kinda trippy because it wasn’t until dress rehearsal that when I looked up and I looked on that stage and I go, ‘Oh shit, that’s a flag. Ah, fuck, we’re being revolutionaries.’ Because I wasn’t listening or paying attention.”
Jackson appeared throughout the performance, playing a version of Uncle Sam, essentially narrating Kendrick’s show.
As well as social commentary, Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance made headlines for featuring a number of jabs aimed at Drake.
During the actual performance of “Not Like Us”, Kendrick self-censored the “certified pedophile” line but smirked to the camera as he rapped: “Say Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one / To any [bitch] that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your lil’ sister from him.”
