Kendrick Lamar Performs Drake Diss Track “Not Like Us” at Super Bowl 2025 — With Slight Lyric Change

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Following his category wins at the Grammys the previous week, Kendrick Lamar performed his anticipated anthem from 2024, “Not Like Us”, during the half-time show of the 2025 Super Bowl.

The GNX hip-hop artist performed “squabble up,” “Humble,” “DNA,” “euphoria,” “man at the garden” and “peakboo.” He hinted that he might play his popular song, “Not Like Us,” but chose not to due to ongoing legal issues related to the track. Instead, he opted for a slower tempo, teaming up with Grammy Award-winning singer SZA on “luther” and “All the Stars.”

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Performing a mix of hits like “squabble up,” “Humble,” “DNA,” “euphoria,” “man at the garden” and “peakboo,” the GNX rapper considered playing his controversial track, “Not Like Us,” given its connection to current lawsuits. However, he decided against it, preferring a softer approach by joining forces with Grammy Award-winning singer SZA on “luther” and “All the Stars.

There’s been much talk among followers about whether Lamar will play his diss track at the NFL’s major event. However, the 37-year-old rapper from Compton hasn’t given many details about his performance before the game at a press conference on Thursday. He did hint that it would be a performance with a narrative feel. At the event, Samuel L. Jackson introduced the show, and Lamar’s producer Mustard also performed. It was already known that SZA would collaborate during the performance.

Ultimately, Lamar stepped into his hit track “Not Like Us.” This highly praised song, launched during a continuous disagreement with rapper Drake, is one of several diss tracks Lamar produced against the artist known as Certified Lover Boy, such as “euphoria,” another one he performed.

In the flow of the song’s authentic verses, Lamar publicly mentioned Drake by name. He deliberately avoided the term “pedophiles” in the track but had everyone in the stadium at maximum volume shouting, “Attempting to strike a chord and it’s likely A minor.” Tennis legend Serena Williams was spotted grooving during the performance. In a video shared on X, she humorously commented, “I didn’t do that crip walk at Wimbledon; they would have fined me. It was all love.

2024’s massive hit, “Not Like Us,” dominated charts for an impressive period. It spent 14 days at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and an extended 20 weeks at the summit of the Hot Rap Songs chart. This powerhouse track swept all five Grammy categories it was nominated in, including Song and Record of the Year, elevating it beyond a typical diss track to an international and culturally significant anthem. As described by Janeé Bolden from The Hollywood Reporter, its latest success serves as another “FAFO moment” for its intended recipient. The song has also surpassed a billion streams on Spotify, earning it a place in their Billions Club.

A defamation lawsuit has been filed against Universal Music Group (UMG), Drake’s parent record label, by Drake himself. The suit alleges that UMG intentionally created and promoted a viral rap song which falsely implied that Drake is a criminal pedophile and encouraged vigilante justice.

In November, Drake’s company, Frozen Moments, accused Universal Music Group (UMG) in a New York court of deliberately flooding streaming services and radio airwaves with the song “Not Like Us” to make it trendy. They alleged this was done by using automated programs (bots) and pay-to-play deals. However, both Spotify and UMG have denied these allegations, with UMG labeling them as unfounded and inaccurate.

UMG and Spotify have never entered into an agreement where UMG provided Spotify with a 30% discount on licensing fees for ‘Not Like Us,’ in return for Spotify actively promoting the song to users, such as those searching for similar songs and artists,” the streaming platform stated in response to the petition.

During the 2022 Super Bowl intermission, it was my turn to step into the spotlight alongside rap icon Dr. Dre and some heavyweights in the hip-hop and R&B scene. Guys like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige were there too. What an unforgettable moment for me as a gamer and music fan!

The Philadelphia Eagles lead the Kansas City Chiefs 24-0 as of halftime during Super Bowl LIX.

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2025-02-10 05:25