Kamala Harris references Kendrick Lamar diss track during BET Awards

Vice President Harris referenced one of Kendrick Lamar’s diss tracks against Drake while discussing the importance of voting in a video aired during Sunday night’s BET Awards.

Harris, in a prerecorded segment that aired Sunday night, was shown picking up a video call from actor Taraji P. Henson, who hosted this year’s BET Awards. In the video, Henson told Harris she is concerned about the upcoming election, noting women’s reproductive rights and the Supreme Court are “on the line,” while “our basic freedoms are being tested.”

When asked by Henson what she is hearing on the campaign trail, Harris said, “Let me tell you, you’re right Taraji, there is so much at stake in the moment.”

“The majority of us believe in freedom and equality. But these extremists, as they say, they’re ‘not like us,'” Harris said, to which Henson quipped, “They not.”

“Not Like Us” was one of Lamar’s most popular diss tracks, released in May amid a rap battle with Drake that consumed hip-hop for weeks. The song earned the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and capped a feud between Lamar and Drake that dates back to 2013.

The 2024 BET Awards kicked off Sunday night with a parody of “Not Like Us,” performed by Henson, an Oscar-nominated actor.

In their video, Harris listed the threats facing voters in November, without naming any particular candidates or party.

“There’s a full attack on our fundamental freedoms, the freedom to vote, the freedom to love who you love, the freedom to be safe from gun violence, the freedom for a woman to make decisions about her own body not having her government tell her what to do,” Harris said.

Henson eventually asked Harris what can be done, to which the vice president emphasized the importance of being registered to vote. Henson said she was texting “everybody she knows” to direct them to Vote.org to ensure they are registered before Nov. 5.

The awards show, which aired live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, featured performances from Will Smith, Megan Thee Stallion and Sexyy Red, whose performance of “Get it Sexyy” was themed around her hypothetical White House run.

Rapper Killer Mike, during his acceptance speech for album of the year for his album “Michael,” discussed his Grammys arrest and the importance of voting, especially in local elections.

“They going to tell you who we vote for is important,” he continued his speech, “And it is who we vote for on the big stage. It’s important, but it’s more important you know who your city council person is, who your prosecutor is.”

Killer Mike, a longtime progressive activist who has campaigned for various Democratic politicians, has not endorsed any candidate in the 2024 presidential election.