Kendrick Lamar turned a routine police recruitment drive into a TikTok phenomenon when the West Memphis Police Department officers borrowed his slick Super Bowl moves for a viral video.
The department posted the now-viral clip in early March 2025, featuring uniformed officers recreating Lamar’s choreography from his electrifying “Not Like Us” performance at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. The video showcased the department’s eye-catching 2023 Dodge Challenger patrol car, quickly took social media by storm. What initially began as a playful tactic to attract 25 new recruits swiftly became an internet sensation. A West Memphis police officer explained to ABC 24 how the idea for the Kendrick Lamar-inspired video came about: “We was scrolling on TikTok because we was like we need to recruit at least 25 people. We need to make it happen fast.”
The casual strategy paid off big-time, generating massive buzz across various social media channels.
By March 10th, the TikTok video had racked up a staggering 11 million views. The department’s phones began ringing nonstop, and their Facebook page received over 1,000 messages from potential applicants asking how to join the force. With the video’s success surpassing all expectations, West Memphis police officials have seen interest rise dramatically from young adults and women, two demographics targeted explicitly by the campaign.