Kendrick Lamar is following up his historic Grammys run with more prestigious nominations. The 51st edition of the American Music Awards takes place in Sin City (AKA: Las Vegas) on the evening of May 26. It's the first edition of the ceremonies to be held in Vegas after previously occurring in the Los Angeles area, and will also be the inaugural broadcast to take place on Memorial Day. Before this, the AMAs were most recently shown in October or November, with the intent of a shift to a Memorial Day showing to also allow for the honoring of U.S. troops and veterans.
The world's largest fan-voted Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and SZA also have multiple nominations. But there's one rapper whose nominations lead all comers and continues his recent hot streak of awards.
Kendrick Lamar Has Been Nominated For 10 American Music Awards
For Both His Recent Album And Several Standout Singles
Compton, California's own Kendrick Lamar already took the Grammy Awards by storm earlier this year. The standout rapper was nominated in four categories related to his and its SZA-featuring single "Luther"), and Lamar himself for Artist of the Year.
10 Kendrick Lamar Lyrics That Were Deeper Than You Realized
From Section.80 to GNX, we look between the layers of some of Kendrick Lamar's deepest lyrics.
In total, Lamar is up for a possible award in eight overall categories. Should he sweep once again at the AMAs as he did at the Grammys, Lamar would tie a record set previously by Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston for most awards won in a single year. Lamar already has three previous American Music Awards to his name, and could add at least a few more based on the buoyant steam backing of the continued "Not Like Us" popularity. Why has this song continued to surge even almost a year since it first came out?
Why "Not Like Us" Continues To Dominate Award Season
A Song Still Built To Last
Simply put, "Not Like Us" succeeds in every way that it needs to in order to be worthy of both catchiness and replay value. Built on the back of a fun, funky, thumping, club-worthy beat courtesy of DJ Mustard, Lamar launches into lines of lyrical razors that slice into Drake's personal and professional character in ways that are both deft and shockingly personal. Sort the truth from the allegations of "Not Like Us" at your own pace. It's the diss of the diss track that carries all the weight.
Lamar launches into lines of lyrical razors that slice into Drake's personal and professional character in ways that are both deft and shockingly personal.
Lamar's dislike for Drake feels genuine and palpable; you can sense his frowning disgust on "Not Like Us" towards what he feels are Drake's "culture vulture" tendencies and behavior. It's one thing to feel that way, though; it's quite another to bottle that mood into an attractive, bopping slice of rapper's delight that is gleeful at the door it's opened. So brace yourself, American Music Award fans, because it feels like "Not Like Us" is not ready for the last word just yet.
