Kendrick Lamar didn't go easy on Drake during his electrifying halftime performance at the Super Bowl 2025, held at the Caesars Superdome on February 9th, Sunday. As the 37-year-old Compton-bred rapper wrapped up his set, he delivered a powerful punch with his Grammy-acclaimed diss track, "Not Like Us," aimed squarely at his long-standing rival, Drake.
Before belting out the record-of-the-year contender, Lamar quipped, "I want to play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue," a nod to Drake's recent lawsuit against his label, UMG, filed in January, which claimed defamation over accusations of "being a pedophile" in "Not Like Us." Notably, Lamar omitted the controversial word from the song's lyrics during his performance.
Adding an intriguing twist, Lamar invited fellow Compton native Serena Williams, who briefly romanced Drake around 2011, to grace the stage with her dancing prowess. Samuel L. Jackson, donning an Uncle Sam costume, introduced Lamar at the outset and made a few more appearances throughout the show.
Lamar treated fans to an array of his biggest hits, including "HUMBLE." and "Squabble Up," before diving into the Drake diss track. As previously announced, SZA joined Lamar for a couple of her songs, "Luther" following Lamar's "peekaboo" performance. SZA wowed the audience in a striking red leather outfit.
Earlier in January, it was confirmed that frequent collaborator SZA, 35, would accompany Lamar onstage. She previously featured on "Gloria" and "Luther" from Lamar's latest album, GNX.
In a press conference with Apple Music ahead of the performance, Lamar teased fans about the storytelling element of his show. "I've always been transparent about my storytelling through my entire catalog and music history, and I've always been passionate about bringing that to any stage I'm on," he said.
Speculations swirled that New Orleans native Lil Wayne would join Lamar onstage for the Super Bowl performance after expressing his disappointment at not being invited. However, he eventually sorted things out with Lamar. "He can't control that. So, he didn't let me down," said Wayne, 42.
Days before the Super Bowl, the rapper teased something special with a cryptic Instagram Stories post. "Y'all know I'm not going to be there this week, which means I guess there's a seat to fill," he said. "Shout out to New Orleans, but I've been working on something very special. I've got something exciting coming for you on Thursday, the 6th. Until then, I'm chillin'."
