Kendrick Lamar put on a Super Bowl halftime show for the ages as he became the first solo rapper to headline the event — and he aimed a few more jabs at Drake throughout.
During his breathtaking 15-minute performance at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome on Sunday night (February 9), Kendrick repeatedly referenced his bitter feud with the 6 God before eventually performing his chart-topping diss track “Not Like Us.”
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Roughly halfway through his set, the Compton rap star taunted his archrival by saying in a back-and-forth with female backup dancers: “I want to perform their favorite song… but you know they love to sue,” a clear nod to Drake’s controversial defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over “Not Like Us.”
During the actual performance of the track — the penultimate song in his set — Kendrick self-censored the “certified pedophile” line but smirked to the camera as he said: “Say Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one / To any [bitch] that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your lil’ sister from him.”
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He also performed the lyrics: “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor,” with enthusiastic help from the capacity crowd.
The halftime show also included a surprise cameo from Drake’s ex-girlfriend and Compton native Serena Williams, who could be seen Crip Walking on an elevated stage as “Not Like Us” transitioned into the closing track, “TV Off.”
Another apparent dig at Drake came at the very end when the crowd lit up to display the words “Game Over,” which continued the video game theme of the performance.
Some fans also speculated that Kendrick’s chain, which featued a lower case “a” pendant, was a nod to his “A minor” line from “Not Like Us,” but it’s also the logo of his creative company pgLang.
The TV audience for the game likely exceeded 120 million viewers, who tuned in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs get demolished by the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22 in an upset result.
In addition to Serena Williams, Kendrick Lamar was joined during his Super Bowl halftime show by SZA, who helped him perform “All the Stars” and “Luther,” as well as Samuel L. Jackson who narrated the theatrical performance wearing an Uncle Sam outfit.
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Mustard also popped up during the climactic performance of “TV Off.”
Drake, who is currently on tour several thousand miles away in Australia, has yet to comment on the performance.
