Kendrick Lamar performed during the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX Sunday night, a decision that was announced in September 2024. The rapper made a point to mock Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group and opted to cast Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam as part of the show, which also featured SZA joining the Grammy-winning rapper for their 2024 collabs “Luther” and “All the Stars.”
Lamar was also joined by Serena Williams, who was seen crip walking during “Not Like Us.” In 2022 Drake attempted to fire a shot at Alexis Ohanian, Williams’ husband, in his song “Middle of the Ocean.” He rapped on the song, “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie / He claim we don’t got a problem but / No, boo, it is like you comin’ for sushi.” Williams and Drake dated on and off from 2011 to 2015.
Fans were by and large thrilled with Lamar’s performance. At one point, the rapper looked at a group of back-up dancers and commented, “I want to perform their favorite song, but you know how they love to sue,” a reference to Drake’s November filing against Spotify and UMG over the hit diss track.
Lamar was also joined onstage by collaborator and 2025 tour mate SZA. The pair performed a medley of hits, including “Luther” and “All the Stars.”
The choreography and stage design of the show was also praised. Complex Music shared as series of photos from the performance and wrote, “Kendrick Lamar. That’s it. That’s the tweet.”
NFR Podcast also praised the dancers who accompanied Lamar on stage.
Of course, Lamar’s beef with Drake took center stage for most viewers (and tweeters). One fan shared a GIF of “Dragonball Z” character Goku and wrote, “Kendrick back stage summoning all of his hatred for this performance.
Others shared memes of men in various stages of distress, like one that showed a man leaping at his TV and attempting to pull it down. “Drake watching Kendrick halftime show,” @LakeShowYo wrote on X.
Another meme showed Chiefs’ player Chris Jones, apparently bent over on the field in agony. “Drake watching Kendrick perform ‘Not Like Us’ in front of the whole world,” Barstool Sports wrote on X.
Another fan compared Drake’s likely response to the halftime show to a memorable scene from “Jurassic Park.”
Ultimately, Lamar’s show was definitely a social media success. “Kendrick really did that,” SportsCenter wrote after the performance, and Bleacher Report shared a video of a jubilant Lamar celebrating backstage afterward.
