Kendrick Lamar has won Record of the Year for the first time at the 2025 Grammys, making good on his fourth year of nomination in the category. His incendiary Drake diss “Not Like Us” beat out competition from Taylor Swift and Post Malone (“Fortnight”), the Beatles (“Now and Then”), Beyoncé (“Texas Hold ’Em”), Billie Eilish (“Birds of a Feather”), Chappell Roan (“Good Luck, Babe!”), Charli XCX (“360”), and Sabrina Carpenter (“Espresso”). And, yes, they did televise some of the more vicious lines from the song.
“What’s up? First and foremost, praise to the most high we woke up this morning,” Lamar began his acceptance speech. “Dre, what’s up? Swiss what’s up? We gonna dedicate this one to this city: Compton, Long Beach, Englewood, Hollywood, out to the Valley, San Bernardino, all that. This is my neck of the woods that held me down since a young pup, since I was in the studio scrapping to write the best raps and all that to write ones like these. I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since high school. Most importantly, the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena. This is a true testament that we can change and restore this city. Keep rocking. My boy Mustard, where you at?”
Mustard added, “I ain’t got nothing to say but West Siiiiiiiiiiide!”
Earlier in the day, Lamar won Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance, all for “Not Like Us.” Follow along with all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2025 Grammys.
