Many had questioned if Kendrick Lamar would have the audacity to sing a single song during tonight’s halftime.
Viewers of the Super Bowl were shocked when Kendrick Lamar unexpectedly sang his contentious diss song against Drake.
Even though ‘Not Like Us’ was recently the focus of a widely reported lawsuit, many were still wondering if he would have the guts to sing it at his halftime show tonight.
Drake filed a defamation and harassment lawsuit against Universal Music Group following the release of the diss track. His attorneys accused the label of starting a “campaign to create a viral hit” since Lamar calls the 38-year-old a “certified p**dophile,” a charge Drake has consistently refuted.
When Lamar took the field in Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, he was a huge success.
Rapping, he said, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one,” leaving everyone in the globe speechless. He omitted the most contentious line from the diss track, though.
“HE SAID THE F**KING VERSE???” a fan wrote on Twitter. “Oh, there’s a draught on the floor.”
As another person put it: “Kendrick really out here calling out Drake at the Super Bowl.”
Another added, “Kendrick Lamar is cooking Drake in front of the world at the Super Bowl right now.”
A fourth person said, “Lmaoooooo the way he looked at the camera before that ‘hey Drake’.”
Some fans went a step farther and were certain that he would surprise Drake with a performance, even if many had anticipated he would include the diss tune in his repertoire.
One person conjectured, “Kendrick will bring out a driver for the final time.”
Another replied, “Now all I need is Kendrick to bring out Drake and then I can be happy about this matchup lol.”
Lamar had a set of guidelines to follow, just like any other Super Bowl performer.
First, for the medley format to operate, songs need to be condensed. “You’re just running around for 13 minutes, trying to put like a two-hour set for 13 minutes,” 2023 star Rihanna stated during a press tour.
With explicit language prohibited during the halftime show, inappropriate gestures can also land artists in serious trouble. Rapper M.I.A. learned this the hard way when she was fined $16.6 million for giving the middle finger during her performance with Madonna, the headlining act at Super Bowl XLVI.
In addition, the event must continue in any weather conditions, and performers must be prepared to take the stage in only six minutes.