Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up Super Bowl Halftime with His 5-Grammy-Winning Hit ‘Not Like Us’

Kendrick Lamar used his Super Bowl halftime show to celebrate his Grammy wins while also throwing a little shade at Drake. Just a week after winning five Grammys for his song “Not Like Us,” Lamar performed for 15 minutes, mixing new songs with some of his biggest hits. The performance was full of dancers and was introduced by Samuel L. Jackson in an Uncle Sam costume.

Lamar quickly acknowledged his ongoing feud with Drake, joking, “You picked the right time for the wrong guy.” He started playing “Not Like Us,” but paused to joke that he couldn’t fully perform it because of legal issues, referring to the lawsuit Drake filed against Universal Music Group over the song. The lawsuit, which Drake filed on January 15, claims the label defamed and harassed him because of the track, which became the centerpiece of their diss battle last summer.

Throughout the show, Lamar performed a mix of songs, including some from his latest album GNX, but his rivalry with Drake was still present. When he came back to “Not Like Us,” Lamar looked directly into the camera and rapped a line referencing Drake, saying, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young,” though he censored the part that calls Drake a pedophile. Despite the edit, the crowd loved it and sang along.

Lamar was joined on stage by SZA to perform “Luther” and “All the Stars.” SZA, who has a history with Drake as one of his exes, added extra drama to the show, which was further fueled by Serena Williams dancing on stage another of Drake’s past girlfriends.

Lamar finished with his new track “TV Off,” which, while not directly about Drake, still included lyrics that could be seen as a subtle jab. The performance ended with the words “GAME OVER” flashing on stage, making it clear that Lamar was on top, both in music and in his ongoing feud with Drake.

While the Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22 in the Super Bowl, the game itself was quickly overshadowed as Kendrick Lamar’s performance stole the spotlight and dominated headlines across the country.