Kendrick Lamar fires shot at Drake during his Super Bowl halftime show
Kendrick Lamar performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Kendrick Lamar turned the Super Bowl halftime show into his personal battleground, making it clear that his dominance over Drake wasn’t confined to diss tracks and Grammy wins.
Just a week after collecting five Grammys for “Not Like Us,” Lamar orchestrated a performance that blended old hits with fresh material from his latest album, GNX, held at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Emerging from a Buick Grand National GNX – a nod to his album’s title – the rapper launched into a high-energy setlist featuring fan favorites like “DNA” and “Squabble Up.”
As the unmistakable beat of “Not Like Us” filled the stadium, Lamar cut it off. “I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they want to sue,” he said, throwing shade at Drake’s ongoing lawsuit against Universal Music Group for defamation and harassment.
Rather than escalate further, Lamar switched gears and brought out R&B powerhouse SZA for a performance of “Luther.”
After performing a few more songs, Lamar circled back to “Not Like Us,” locking eyes with the camera as he delivered the biting lyric, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young.”
These moments erupted in social media. One user on X (formerly Twitter) said, “Kendrick Lamar performing “Not Like Us” and calling Drake a p*do in front of 100M viewers live at the Super Bowl is going down in history,” with a snippet of Lamar performing the song.
Kendrick Lamar performing “Not Like Us” and calling Drake a p*do in front of 100M viewers live at the Super Bowl is going down in history pic.twitter.com/vluJ0FOziG
— King Wow (@wowthatshiphop) February 10, 2025
Another user commented, “THIS MAN KENDRICK LAMAR JUST SMILED IN THE CAMERA AFTER COOKING DRAKE.”
THIS MAN KENDRICK LAMAR JUST SMILED IN THE CAMERA AFTER COOKING DRAKE
LMFAOOOOOO#SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/O09jyWwh6l
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) February 10, 2025
“Kendrick’s smirk was the ultimate mic drop – when he glanced at the camera after roasting Drake, it was like he was saying “game over” without uttering a word. Absolute fire,” another one posted.
“Kendrick’s smirk was the ultimate mic drop—when he glanced at the camera after roasting Drake, it was like he was saying “game over” without uttering a word. Absolute fire,” another one posted.
Kendrick’s smirk was the ultimate mic drop—when he glanced at the camera after roasting Drake, it was like he was saying “game over” without uttering a word. Absolute fire! #SuperBowl
— Baijnath Sen (@SenBaijnath) February 10, 2025
He then transitioned into “TV Off,” a new track that, while not explicitly part of their feud, contains pointed lines that many believe take shots at Drake.
“Game over.”
