On America’s Independence Day, Kendrick Lamar simply made issues private for Canadian basketball followers.

The rapper dropped his much-anticipated music video for “Not Like Us” tonight (July 4), which is stuffed with thinly veiled visible photographs at Drake. The diss monitor’s video was filmed in Compton, and it appears like the entire metropolis got here out to have a good time at Drake’s expense.

For followers in Toronto, although, there’s one cameo that cuts particularly deep: DeMar DeRozan.

The NBA participant seems on the 2:43 mark throughout this line: “I am glad DeRoz’ got here dwelling, y’all did not deserve him neither.”

For many who did not catch the reference initially, or who thought he was by some means referring to D-Rose (one other NBA participant, Derrick Rose), it is now painfully apparent who it is about.

The Compton-born skilled basketball participant is now a member of the Chicago Bulls, however was drafted by the Toronto Raptors — Canada’s lone NBA staff, for which Drake serves as the worldwide ambassador.

He was traded in 2018 for Kawhi Leonard, who then led the Raptors to their first NBA championship that season. In a number of interviews since then, DeRozan has talked about how he felt betrayed by the commerce and had wished to play his complete profession in Toronto. However he by no means had a nasty phrase for the town or the followers, who proceed to deal with him like a hometown hero each time he returns.

DeRozan was as soon as shut sufficient to Drake that he unintentionally spilled the beans on an upcoming mixtape, so it is laborious to not interpret this as him choosing his hometown rapper Kendrick Lamar’s aspect.

DeRozan additionally appeared onstage at Kendrick’s Juneteenth “Pop Out” live performance in Los Angeles, so this does not come totally out of nowhere. However his temporary cameo trying into the digital camera within the “Not Like Us” video feels one other direct hit.