"Champions recognize each other" — Internet reacts to Mercedes' F1 team using unreleased snippet from Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us MV
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team has thrilled fans worldwide by using a previously unreleased snippet from Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us music video to launch its new promotional campaign.
On October 14, 2024, NFR Podcast shared a clip posted by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team of their promotional campaign. The snippet featured Mercedes' star drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, in formula gear and cars.
Along with that, Lamar's powerful lyrics from Not Like Us caught the viewers' attention.
The surprise teaser immediately ignited reactions on the internet, with fans of both Lamar and the Mercedes team celebrating the collaboration, suggesting that true champions know their kind —
"champions recognize each other," one wrote on X.
However, some users on X expressed frustration, suggesting that Kendrick Lamar often teases fans with captivating snippets, only to leave them waiting for the full release of the song —
"If it's one thing Kendrick's gonna do, it's put a hard a*s snippet in a video or commercial and then never drop the song," a netizen on X.
"Song going triple platinum, and it ain't even drop yet…next album bouts to go crazy!" another commented.
"Knowing Kendrick, this song will never drop," a third wrote.
In addition, many users on X praised the song snippet, noting that its impact increases over time, while others joked that Lamar seems to add Not Like Us to every release —
"The song lives on 👀," one wrote on X.
"beat drop with the engine goes harder than I'd like to admit," a second wrote on X.
"You expected them to use Family matters for a car edit?," another commented.
"Kendrick Lamar when he needs a check balance," a user on X.
The decision to use Lamar's unreleased work also sparked intrigue within the music industry, with fans eagerly speculating about the full release of the snippet and its music video.
However, neither Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team nor Lamar had reflected on the promotional campaign.
Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us snippet powers Mercedes F1's latest campaign
On Monday, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One released a promotional video of the Formula One race cars featuring Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us unreleased snippet in the video clip. The lyrics used from his song read:
"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA / I AM REINCARNATED / I WAS STARGAZING / LIFE GOES ON, HONEY ALL MY BABIES (GYAH, GYAH) / WOKE UP LOOKIN FOR A BROCCOLI / HOT KEY, KEEP A HORN ON ME, THAT KAMASI / IP OWNERSHIP THE BLUEPRINT IS BY ME / MISTER GET OFF I GET OFF AT MY FEET," Lamar rapped.
When Lamar debuted the music video for Not Like Us, he included a brief snippet at the beginning, which features the line referenced above. This snippet has yet to be fully released, and the Compton star has not addressed its future publicly.
This is not the first time Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One has referenced Kendrick Lamar or his work. On October 15, 2024, the Mercedes-AMG social media account shared a photo of Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton seated on the grass with a large red and white flag and a basketball.
The pose closely mirrored Lamar’s when he announced his role in the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, scheduled for February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us quickly became one of the rapper's most anticipated tracks. Released on May 4, 2024, the song is widely regarded as a direct response to his ongoing rivalry with fellow rapper Drake.
The two artists exchanged diss tracks from March to May 2024, with Not Like Us emerging as the standout track that many in the music industry believe secured Lamar's victory in the feud.
The track was released as a retort to Drake's Meet the Grahams, and its music video, which debuted on July 5, 2024, shot to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart, breaking numerous records along the way.
