Serena Williams Takes Jab With Not Like Us At Espys Awards

Drake found himself the subject of jokes once more, this time involving his former girlfriend Serena Williams and their mutual connection to Kendrick Lamar.

At the 2024 ESPY Awards on Thursday (July 11), Serena Williams took the stage as the host and humorously referenced Drake’s well-known feud with Kendrick Lamar during her opening monologue.

“If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us — not a single one of us, not even me — should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” Williams quipped.

To further the jest, the Compton rapper Crip Walked to his diss track “Not Like Us” while it played in the background. Williams added, “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they’re gonna Forrest Gump him. Seats taken!”

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DRAKE AND SERENA WILLIAMS AS AN ITEM

Drake and Serena Williams were rumored to have dated in 2011, with Drake often seen supporting her at tennis matches during that time. Their alleged romance was even referenced by Kendrick Lamar in “Not Like Us” with the lyrics: “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither/ From Alondra down to Central, n-gga better not speak on Serena.”

Recently, Williams expressed her fondness for the chart-topping diss track at the Essence Festival, saying, “I love that song. It’s like the hit of the summer. When they play that jam, I’m jamming. That jam is jamming.”

DRAKE VS SERENA’S HUSBAND ALEXIS OHANIAN

Drake had previously taken a jab at Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, in his 2022 track “Middle of the Ocean” from the album Her Loss, rapping: “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie/ He claim we don’t got a problem but no, boo, it’s like you comin’ for sushi/ We might pop up on ’em at will like Suzuki.”

Ohanian responded to Drake’s taunts on social media, writing: “The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the best at whatever I do — including being the best groupie for my wife & daughter.”

However, not everyone appreciated the humor. Producer BNYX, a recent collaborator with one of the artists, tweeted his displeasure, saying, “this shit is getting old and corny.”