On Sunday night, Kendrick Lamar may not have secured the prestigious Most Valuable Player accolade at the Super Bowl, yet arguably, his absence from that podium was a surprise oversight. The cultural consensus resonated loud and clear: the Pulitzer Prize-adorned rapper had not only conclusively settled his rap beef with Drake, but he also triumphantly paraded his victory during the halftime show. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles thwarted the Kansas City Chiefs' bid for an historic three-peat Super Bowl win, and in the parallel universe of hip-hop fandom, Drake also tasted defeat.
Prior to Lamar's performance, whispers buzzed about whether he would serenade the crowds with his magnum opus, "Not Like Us." This diss track, arguably the anthem of 2024, had been the focal point of his highly anticipated rap showdown with Drake. Only a week prior, Lamar had garnered five Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Music Video of the Year for "Not Like Us." In the song, Lamar took a veiled jab at the Canadian rapper with the lyrics, "Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles," followed by a clever musical pun, "Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A Minor."
Drake, not only denying the allegations but also striking back, filed a lawsuit. Last month, he sued his own record label, UMG Recordings, Inc., accusing it of defamation in the publication and promotion of "Not Like Us." He seeks both compensatory and punitive damages. Drake is currently under the wing of Republic Records, a subsidiary of UMG, while Lamar finds his representation at Interscope Records, another division of the same parent company. Notably, Lamar is not a defendant in this lawsuit.
"We have never and will never engage in defamation against any individual," a UMG spokesperson declared in a statement to CNN upon the filing of the suit. "Concurrently, we will fiercely defend this litigation to safeguard our people, our reputation, and any artist who might unjustly become a target of frivolous litigation merely for penning a song."
The first inkling of how Lamar would address the song during his performance came via a bold "A" pendant dangling from his neck chain. He also cleverly broke the fourth wall, addressing the millions tuning in, "I yearn to play their beloved tune, but you know how they love to sue."
Towards the conclusion of his performance, Lamar expertly set the stage for "Not Like Us," electrifying the audience with his declaration, "40 acres and a mule—this transcends music. They attempted to manipulate the game, but influence cannot be feigned." His words carried a weight that spoke volumes, hinting at an underlying message.Amidst the scrutinizing glare that intensified the rhythm of his words, Lamar locked his piercing gaze into the camera lens and declaimed swiftly, "Say Drake, whispers have reached my ears about your penchant for the younger demographic." Despite the delicacy of the accusation, cunningly sidestepping the inflammatory term 'pedophile,' the crowd, as if covertly conspiring, erupted in a thunderous chant, their voices resonating with an eerie refrain of "A minor," echoing ominously through the air.
Lamar spring a surprise that left many audience members doing a quick double-take. As his verse resonated with "better not speak on Serena," the camera panned to tennis superstar Serena Williams, capturing her performing the Crip walk—a dance style birthed in Harlem and later embraced by Compton, the shared hometown of both Williams and Lamar. For those versed in the narrative, the moment was layered with both nuanced and overt digs.
Rumors have circulated that Williams and Drake shared a romantic involvement starting in 2011. Drake has previously referenced Williams in his track "Worst Behavior" from 2013 and more recently, in "Middle of the Ocean" from 2022, he jubilantly dubbed her husband Alexis Ohanian a "groupie." Williams, never one to shy away from a retort, struck back subtly while hosting the ESPY Awards the previous year. "If I've learned anything this year, it's that none of us, not even me, should mess with Kendrick Lamar," she quipped before bursting into a dance to "Not Like Us," a move that held symbolic significance as it mirrored her celebratory dance after winning an Olympic gold medal in 2012, which sparked controversy for allegedly "glamorizing" gang violence due to its association with Los Angeles' Crips gang.
Addressing the 2012 uproar, Williams, whose sister Yetunde Price was fatally shot by a Southside Crips gang member in 2003, dismissed it as "just a dance." Lightheartedly, she joked on social media following Lamar's halftime showcase, "Man, I didn't Crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Ooh, I'd have been fined for sure."
