Tam’s Burgers, a local favourite in Compton, is experiencing a windfall boost in sales thanks to a feature in Kendrick Lamar’s latest music video, “Not Like Us.”
The video, which was released on July 4th, shows Lamar and producer Mustard pulling up to Tam’s in a Lamborghini and enjoying a meal inside the restaurant.
Since the video’s release, Tam’s Burgers has seen a surge in business of 30% to 40%. Manager Lauro Hernandez says that many new customers have come in specifically mentioning the video, and the restaurant has been picking up a lot of tourist traffic in addition to their regular local clientele.
A popular menu item seems to be the bacon cheeseburger, which Hernandez says is Kendrick’s go-to order. Hernandez has known Lamar since he was a teenager and is proud that the rapper hasn’t forgotten his roots.
Interestingly, reports indicate Tam’s Burgers didn’t ask for any payment for the use of their restaurant in the video. However, Lamar insisted on giving them some form of compensation for their time and for closing down the restaurant during filming. The agreement resulted in the Tam’s Burgers logo being featured prominently in the final cut of the video.
This decision seems to have paid off handsomely for Tam’s, with the video already garnering over 35 million views, providing a massive amount of free advertising for the restaurant.
This surge in popularity for Tam’s Burgers is part of what some are calling a “modern-day renaissance” for the West Coast hip-hop scene. In a show of community support, Lamar’s friends Jason Martin and Jay Worthy have also sponsored billboards in Compton featuring images from June’s Pop Out concert at the Forum.
