During the 67th edition of The Grammys held on Sunday, Kendrick Lamar secured both Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year awards.
The 37-year-old has amassed an impressive 22 Grammy Awards over his career, with this year’s standout being his diss track aimed at fellow rapper Drake.
In total, Kendrick took home five Grammy Awards, including Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Song of The Year, and Record of The Year—all for the track ‘Not Like Us’.
The victories prompted many fans to question the distinction between Song of The Year and Record of The Year—two categories that can appear similar at first glance.
There is indeed a nuanced difference.
Record of The Year pertains to a specific recording of a song, acknowledging the artists, producers, and engineers who contributed to that particular recording.
Conversely, Song of The Year centers on the song’s composition, recognizing the songwriters behind it. While it may be a subtle technical distinction, it is nonetheless significant for these award categories.
So, what does Kendrick’s dual win signify? For Song of The Year, he was recognized as the sole songwriter, which is why this award is often referred to as the songwriter’s accolade.
The Record of The Year Award, however, also honors the producers, engineers, and others involved with ‘Not Like Us’, such as Sean Momberger, Mustard & Sounwave Ray Charles Brown Jr., and others.
The track’s success demonstrates its favorable reception among audiences, emerging as a response to the ongoing feud with Drake. The two artists have reportedly had tensions since the 2010s. In light of this, Drake has initiated a lawsuit against Universal Music Group—where both rappers were signed when the song was released—alleging defamation over ‘Not Like Us’.
Online reactions to Kendrick’s Grammy triumphs have spurred numerous memes. One user on X commented, “I can’t put into words how much Kendrick has defeated Drake on all fronts, I mean this is mind blowing.”
Another wrote, “The entire crowd bopping around, cheering, dancing to ‘Not Like Us’ by Kendrick Lamar after winning a Grammy… damn Drake.”
Though Drake has yet to publicly respond to Kendrick’s win, his father addressed the matter in a TikTok video, saying: “I don’t care enough about that s***… all the best to him.”