Kendrick Lamar teased the crowd just minutes into his Super Bowl halftime show.
"I want to play their favorite song… but you know they love to sue," he said, a clear nod to Not Like Us—his scathing diss track aimed at Drake.
The song had dominated the past year, racking up over a billion Spotify streams and winning five Grammys, including Song of the Year. But with Drake filing a defamation lawsuit over lyrics labeling him a sexual predator—a claim he denies—many wondered whether Lamar would perform it at all.
He played into the suspense, teasing the song throughout his set before finally giving the audience what they wanted.
When the beat dropped, Lamar self-censored the most controversial lyric, where he calls Drake a “certified pedophile.” But his intent was clear—he smirked into the camera as he name-checked his rival, keeping intact the song’s infamous double entendre: "Tryin' to strike a chord and it's probably A minor."
That line echoed through the Caesars Superdome in Louisiana, a reminder that no lawsuit could erase the track’s cultural impact.
Lamar’s performance reached an estimated 120 million viewers watching as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22, preventing them from securing an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl victory.
The energy in the stadium surged even further when tennis icon Serena Williams made a surprise appearance, breaking into the Crip Walk—a signature Los Angeles dance move—while Lamar prowled the stage.
Meanwhile, Drake’s legal team continues to pursue Universal Music Group, accusing the label of fueling a viral sensation at the expense of their client’s reputation.
A Historic Halftime Show
Sunday marked the first time a solo rapper headlined the Super Bowl, and Lamar delivered a spectacle packed with dancers, fireworks, and special guests.
True to form, he wove deeper themes into the performance. His set took place on a massive tic-tac-toe board, with introspective tracks unfolding within the Xs and high-energy crowd favorites staged in the Os.
Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, played the role of emcee—mocking Lamar when he got too introspective and hyping him up when he delivered fan-favorites.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Jackson declared after Lamar’s duet with SZA on All The Stars, their Black Panther soundtrack hit.
“That’s what America wants—nice and calm.”
It was a tongue-in-cheek critique of the pressure on Lamar to sanitize his message for a mainstream audience.
"Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto," Jackson scolded at one point.
Lamar, unshaken, delivered his own response at the start of the set:
“The revolution about to be televised.”
“They picked the right time but the wrong guy.”
An Electrifying Performance
Lamar arrived on stage atop a black Buick GNX—the same model his father drove home from the hospital when he was born in 1987.
From there, he tore through hits like HUMBLE. and DNA., both from his Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN., shaking the stadium with their seismic beats.
His set, now available on YouTube, also featured Squabble Up, Man at the Garden, and another Drake diss track, Euphoria.
Unlike most Super Bowl performers, Lamar isn’t known for elaborate dance moves, but his presence was magnetic. He strutted in sync with his dancers, while creative staging gave the show a sense of momentum—especially on nervy, angular tracks like Peekaboo.
SZA’s guest appearance added a layer of smoothness, her fluid choreography and supple vocals balancing Lamar’s intensity.
Not Like Us was the undeniable high point. But Lamar wasn’t done yet.
He capped the show with TV Off, a bouncy West Coast anthem where he declared, “Yeah, somebody gotta do it.”
Producer Mustard joined him onstage, clutching a football while rocking the baggiest jeans imaginable. Then, with a flick of an imaginary remote, Lamar looked straight into the camera and delivered his final words:
“Game over.”
A Show of Symbolism
For hardcore fans, the set was packed with Easter eggs—including a snippet of the unreleased song Bodies.
Casual viewers, however, might have struggled with some of his more intricate lyrics, which were muddied by the stadium’s echo.
One surprising omission was Alright, Lamar’s civil rights anthem. Given that the NFL had recently removed the phrase “End Racism” from the end zones—a slogan that had been present since 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests—some expected him to address it.
With President Donald Trump in attendance, many thought Lamar might make an even bolder statement. Instead, his only controversy came at Drake’s expense.
Protest on Stage
The performance ran smoothly—until the final moments.
As Lamar wrapped up Not Like Us, a protester climbed onto the Buick GNX and unfurled a combined Palestinian and Sudanese flag before being swiftly tackled by security.
The NFL later confirmed that the protester was part of the 400-member cast involved in the show.
The Verdict
Sleek. Defiant. Uncompromising.
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show delivered on spectacle and symbolism, proving that no lawsuit—or rival—could silence his voice.
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