Evidently, this is A Thing.
Who knew?
From RNS:
In the moments before Kendrick Lamar launched into his Grammy-winning diss track, “Not Like Us,” at the Super Bowl, a quartet of background dancers asked him, “You really ’bout to do it?” It was seemingly a question about the legal risks of blasting rival rapper Drake as a pedophile on the most-watched halftime show of all time.
A little over two weeks later, that same audio played over a TikTok video of Catholic deacon David Workman and his daughter, Lexy, with the caption “lent era is coming.” Playing off a secular dance trend, as the first riffs from “Not Like Us” begin, Workman changes from green Ordinary Time vestments to purple Lenten ones. The deacon from the Diocese of Beaumont, Texas, copies Lamar’s walking dance steps with his daughter backing him up in altar server surplice.
After the video posted to Lexy’s TikTok account received over 34 million views and 5 million likes, the Catholic priests got on board. Dancing to the diss track became a trend to hype up congregants and social media users for Lent.
@workmanlexylent era is coming 🆙😇♬ original sound – NFL
For example, on Ash Wednesday, the Rev. Peter Tynan, St. Martin’s University Benedictine chaplain, and campus ministry director Nick Coffman posted their own “Not Like Us” dance with a caption listing Mass times. Two days later, the Rev. Aaron Qureshi and deacon Wayne Rich at Arizona State University’s Newman Center jumped on the minitrend. Each video racked up millions of views.
@saintmartinsuniversity It’s OFFICIALLY Lent season and Father Peter is already two steps ahead🙏🏽💜 Ministries on Ash Wednesday 3/5/25 for all: •9-11 a.m. Ashes ‘on the go’ for those who cannot attend Mass in Harned Hall (with free CRS Lent spiritual support gifts) •12:30 pm Mass in the Abbey Church (Simple Campus Ministry Mass with Ashes Please note no adoration on 3/5) 🕊️ •4:45 pm Mass in the Abbey Church (Abbey Monastic Community Mass with Ashes) #gosaints #ashwednesday #lent ♬ original sound – Saint Martin’s University All the participants in the Catholic mini TikTok trend appear to be white, despite the track’s complicated politics around Black identity.
The diss track is culmination of a rap feud that involves serious allegations. Lamar accused Drake of being a pedophile, appropriating Black culture without an authentic relationship with it, hiding secret children and having alcohol and gambling addictions. Drake accused Lamar of abuse and infidelity in his relationship. Drake’s lawyers filed a defamation lawsuit against his and Lamar’s record label Universal Music Group, arguing it launched a campaign to make a hit out of “Not Like Us” while the label knew it contained false criminal accusations against him.
In many ways though, the general public responded to “Not Like Us” like any other chart-topper, dancing and singing along at parties, sports stadiums and school dances. Clergy’s social media videos are just the latest evidence of that.
