Like That

"Like That" is a multi-layered anthem of dominance, authenticity, and confrontation within the hip-hop world. At its surface, the track, particularly through Future's verses and the chorus, delves into the harsh realities and codes of street life. It challenges the listener's and other artists' authenticity by repeatedly asking, "is you like that?", questioning if they genuinely embody the tough, risk-filled lifestyle they might portray in their music. This serves as a litmus test for credibility in a genre where street-level experience is often a badge of honor.

However, the song's most significant meaning derives from Kendrick Lamar's explosive and direct verse, which transformed the track into a major cultural event. His lyrics are a pointed diss aimed squarely at Drake and J. Cole, rejecting the idea of a collaborative "Big Three" of modern rap that J. Cole had proposed on their song "First Person Shooter". Lamar's declaration, "Motherfuck the big three, nigga, it's just big me," is a bold assertion of his individual supremacy and a rejection of being placed on equal footing with his contemporaries. His verse is filled with clever wordplay and direct insults, referencing Drake's album "For All the Dogs" and comparing their best work to a "light pack." This act of choosing "violence" over friendly competition reignited the competitive spirit at the heart of hip-hop, creating a ripple effect throughout the industry and sparking a highly publicized feud. Therefore, the song's meaning transcends a simple street narrative to become a statement on hierarchy, competition, and artistic dominance in the highest echelons of rap.

The song opens with Future setting a tone of street credibility and opulence, adhering to a strict "code" while indulging in a hedonistic lifestyle of women and drugs. He paints a picture of a life where power is asserted through wealth, symbolized by expensive jewelry, and a readiness for violence. The chorus repeatedly challenges the listener, asking if they are truly about the high-stakes, dangerous life being depicted—a life of drug dealing and forceful entry. It questions the authenticity of those who might claim such a lifestyle without living the consequences.

Kendrick Lamar's entrance marks a dramatic shift in the song's focus, launching a direct and aggressive lyrical attack. He dismisses the contemporary notion of a "big three" in rap, a title often used to describe himself, Drake, and J. Cole. Instead, Kendrick unequivocally asserts his singular dominance, declaring it's "just big me." His verse is laden with intricate wordplay and direct references to his rivals' recent work, such as Drake's album "For All the Dogs" and their collaboration "First Person Shooter." He frames their work as inferior and positions himself as a superior, more dangerous artist. He evokes a sense of paranoia and a readiness for conflict, stating he's lost too many allies to be caught off guard. His lyrics are a declaration of war, choosing violence over peaceful competition and challenging his peers to respond to his elevated status.

Future returns to close out the track, reinforcing his status and success, which he has achieved by navigating the treacherous environment of the streets. He contrasts his past struggles, like selling drugs, with his current luxury, including owning a Phantom. The song concludes with the central themes of street authenticity, dominance, and the stark realities of the lifestyle being reinforced, leaving a lasting impression of raw confidence and confrontational energy. Metro Boomin's production throughout provides a dark, menacing, and cinematic backdrop that amplifies the lyrical content's intensity, utilizing haunting samples to ground the track in hip-hop's historical tradition of storytelling and bravado.

"Like That" was created for Future and Metro Boomin's collaborative album, WE DON'T TRUST YOU, released on March 22, 2024. The song was solely produced by Metro Boomin and written by Future (Nayvadius Wilburn), Metro Boomin (Leland Wayne), Kendrick Lamar (Kendrick Duckworth), and Kobe Hood. The production heavily samples Rodney-O & Joe Cooley's 1986 track "Everlasting Bass" and Eazy-E's 1989 single "Eazy-Duz-It", also featuring a vocal sample from Michel'le.

The song's creation is deeply rooted in the escalating tensions between the artists and Drake. In October 2023, Drake and J. Cole released "First Person Shooter," where Cole referred to himself, Drake, and Lamar as the "big three" of rap. This line served as the primary catalyst for Kendrick Lamar's verse. Furthermore, Metro Boomin and Drake had a public falling out in December 2023. Kendrick Lamar's feature was a surprise, uncredited on the initial album release. According to Rodney-O, the sample for "Everlasting Bass" was cleared without his knowledge that Kendrick Lamar's diss verse was on the track; the version he heard only featured Future. This later led to legal disputes over royalties and proper clearance. The song was officially sent to US rhythmic radio as the album's third single on March 26, 2024. Upon its release, Kendrick's verse immediately became a major topic of discussion, igniting one of the most significant hip-hop feuds of the decade.

The rhyme and rhythm of "Like That" are integral to its hard-hitting and confrontational feel. The song's tempo is upbeat and aggressive, driven by Metro Boomin's production which features rapid, complex hi-hat patterns typical of the trap genre. The rhythm is built around a sped-up, looping sample of "Everlasting Bass," creating a sense of urgency and relentless forward motion. This provides a chaotic yet structured foundation for the rappers' flows.

Future's verses and chorus utilize a relatively straightforward, repetitive rhyme scheme, often relying on couplets and simple end rhymes (e.g., streets/leak, that/that). This makes the chorus incredibly catchy and memorable, functioning as a powerful, recurring hook that drills the central question of authenticity into the listener's mind. His rhythmic delivery is melodic and fluid, often weaving in and out of the beat's main pulse in his signature style.

In stark contrast, Kendrick Lamar's verse showcases a more complex and varied approach to rhyme and rhythm. He employs multi-syllabic rhymes, internal rhymes, and shifting rhyme schemes to create a dense and technically impressive performance. For example, in lines like "F*ck sneak dissin', first person shooter, I hope they came with three switches," he links concepts through sound and rhythm. His flow is intentionally aggressive and percussive, hitting the beat with a sharp, staccato energy that emphasizes the combative nature of his lyrics. This dynamic interplay between the steady, hypnotic rhythm of the beat and the varied, aggressive vocal rhythms of the artists creates the song's powerful tension.

"Like That" showcases a range of literary and musical techniques to create its aggressive and confrontational tone. Lyrically, the song is built on braggadocio and direct address, most notably in Kendrick Lamar's verse, which functions as a diss track. Lamar employs sharp wordplay and double entendres, such as the "three switches" line, which cleverly alludes to both weaponry and musical production. He uses metaphor extensively, comparing Drake's best work to a "light pack" and referencing "Pet Sematary" to prophesize the demise of Drake and his associates. There's also a clear use of irony and sarcasm in his delivery, dismissing the notion of a "Big Three" with contempt. Future's verses rely on vivid, often gritty imagery related to street life and luxury to establish his persona and the song's underlying themes of authenticity and power.

Musically, Metro Boomin's production is central to the song's impact. He utilizes a prominent sample from Rodney-O & Joe Cooley's "Everlasting Bass," speeding it up to create a frantic, menacing energy. The beat is characteristic of the trap genre, featuring booming 808s, rapid hi-hats, and a sinister synth melody that creates a dark, cinematic atmosphere. The vocal delivery is a key stylistic element; Future employs his signature melodic, often slurred flow, while Kendrick's delivery is sharp, aggressive, and nasally, cutting through the beat with a palpable intensity that immediately signals a shift in the song's intent.

The cultural influence of "Like That" was immediate and seismic, largely due to Kendrick Lamar's incendiary verse which ignited one of the most significant hip-hop feuds of the 2020s. The song is widely seen as a "cultural reset," shifting the landscape of mainstream rap from an era of collaboration among its top stars to one of open, aggressive competition. The track debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, marking a significant chart success for all three artists. It became Future and Lamar's third number-one single and Metro Boomin's first as a billed artist.

The song's primary impact was triggering a series of diss tracks between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Drake responded with "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle," which were in turn answered by Lamar's scathing tracks "Euphoria," "6:16 in LA," "Meet the Grahams," and the viral hit "Not Like Us." This public beef captivated audiences, fueled countless online debates, and caused other artists like Rick Ross and The Weeknd to publicly take sides. The song's success and the ensuing feud boosted streaming numbers for all artists involved. It also led to legal trouble, with lawsuits filed by the estate of Barry White and by Rodney-O over the uncleared and improperly credited samples used in the beat. Ultimately, "Like That" is remembered not just as a hit song, but as the catalyst that re-energized hip-hop's competitive spirit and dominated music conversations for months.

"Like That" employs potent symbolism and metaphors to assert dominance and critique rivals. The most significant is Kendrick Lamar's dismantling of the "Big Three" concept. This isn't just a rejection of a title but a symbolic toppling of an established order. He replaces this trinity with a singular entity: "big me," symbolizing his belief in his unparalleled status in the rap hierarchy.

Lamar's lyrics are rich with metaphors that function as direct attacks. He references "First Person Shooter" and hopes his rivals "came with three switches," a double entendre referring to both firearm modifications for automatic fire and the beat switches common in songs, suggesting they better be prepared for a multi-faceted assault. The line "'Fore all your dogs gettin' buried, that's a K with all these nines, he gon' see Pet Sematary" is a dense metaphor. It plays on Drake's album title "For All The Dogs," turning it into a threat of violence (K for Kendrick, nines for 9mm firearms) and a grim resurrection of beef, referencing the Stephen King novel where the dead come back wrong.

Future's verses use the recurring question "is you like that?" as a symbolic challenge of authenticity. His imagery of a "twenty carat ring" being put down someone's throat is a violent metaphor for overwhelming others with his wealth and power. The juxtaposition of luxury items like a Phantom with his past of taking chances in the hood symbolizes the perilous journey from street life to success, a common narrative in hip-hop that underscores the theme of survival and dominance.

The most significant recurring phrase in "Like That" is the titular question, "is you like that?" which functions as the song's central motif and chorus. This phrase is repeated insistently by Future, serving as a direct challenge to the authenticity of his listeners and, by extension, his rivals in the music industry. It questions whether they genuinely live the dangerous, high-stakes lifestyle they claim, from selling drugs to "kickin' in doors." This repetition hammers home the song's core theme of authenticity versus performance and establishes a confrontational tone from the outset.

Another key recurring element is the concept of the "Big Three" in rap, which Kendrick Lamar seizes upon and aggressively dismantles. While only mentioned once explicitly in his verse ("Motherfuck the big three, nigga, it's just big me"), it's the central idea his entire verse is built to refute. This motif, introduced by J. Cole in a different song, is re-contextualized by Lamar as a false idol to be destroyed, making his verse a direct and unforgettable response.

Musically, the primary recurring motif is the sped-up, high-pitched synth sample from Rodney-O & Joe Cooley's "Everlasting Bass." This frantic, looping melody is the song's sonic signature, creating an immediate sense of urgency and menace that persists throughout the track, tying all the vocal performances together under a single, cohesive, and aggressive soundscape.