DeMar DeRozan on 'Not Like Us' Video: 'Love Drake,' But Kendrick Lamar Like 'Family'

Newly-signed Sacramento King DeMar DeRozan says it was not a difficult choice to star in Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" music video amid the rapper's ongoing feud with Drake.

"Love Drake, always can play him (in Sacramento's Golden 1 Center)," DeRozan told Fox40's Sean Cunningham. "Kendrick's been a friend of mine, family. Damn near family, for a long time, for a while. We're from the same city, we're up down there in the same neighborhood.

"It's always been there. It hasn't always been publicized, but that's basically family."

DeRozan appeared on stage alongside Russell Westbrook and Lamar during the first live performance of "Not Like Us" during the rappers' Juneteenth concert.

The NBA star then made a cameo in the music video for the Drake diss track released last week.

DeRozan, who spent his first nine NBA seasons playing for Drake's hometown Toronto Raptors, is shown in the video during the line "I'm glad DeRoz came home, y'all didn't deserve him neither."

Both DeRozan and Lamar are from Compton, California, where they attended high schools three miles apart.

"I knew Kendrick growing up," DeRozan told NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson in 2021. "It's a small city. You find motivation from whoever comes before you. And everybody always supports one another, the ones that are coming up.

"It's a crazy bond when you sit back and look at the ones who came through that city and are successful. I definitely have a great relationship with Kendrick."

Now that DeRozan has appeared in one of Lamar's music videos, the old friendship between the two Compton natives will be more well known. DeRozan was even introduced to the Kings home crowd Sunday with "Not Like Us" playing in the background at Golden 1.