All eyes were on him.
Kendrick Lamar brought his Drake diss track “Not Like Us” to the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, but made one big and telling change to the song’s lyrics.
Taking the field at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, Lamar, 37, elated fans when he performed the song that has come to define his feud with Drizzy, 38, during his set.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper teased the song throughout the performance, saving it for the end of his time on the field.
“I want to play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue,” K-Dot spat at one point, undoubtedly alluding to Drake’s legal actions against their shared record label, Universal Music Group.
When Lamar finally did perform a portion of “Not Like Us,” which accuses his Canadian rival of being a pedophile, he took out the word “pedophile” from the lyrics.
Instead of spitting, “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles,” Lamar went silent when he would normally rap “pedophile.”
As planned, SZA joined the performance.
Sunday’s performance was by far the most high-profile live rendition of “Not Like Us,” with more than 80,000 in attendance at the Super Bowl and likely over 100 million watching the very public airing of rap drama at home.
K-Dot spat the diss just days after taking home five Grammys for “Not Like Us,” including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
In the lead-up to the Kansas City Chief’s face-off with the Philadelphia Eagles, Lamar kept mum about whether the diss track would make it into his halftime show setlist.
Faith Moran / BACKGRID
At the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show press conference on Thursday, Lamar would only say that he would deliver plenty of “storytelling.”
The Pulitzer Prize winner and the show’s producers tipped their hand though by playing “Not Like Us” as Lamar was introduced at the top of the presser.
The day before, TMZ reported that the “Humble” rapper would perform the Drake diss at halftime, with the only question remaining whether TV network FOX would broadcast lyrics that allege Drake is a pedophile. The decision was particularly weighty given that Drake has sued his own record label, UMG — which also reps Lamar — for defamation and harassment because they released and promoted “Not Like Us.”
In one bar from the track, Kendrick raps, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young / You better not ever go to cell block one.”
Referencing Drake’s 2021 album, “Certified Lover Boy,” Kendrick goes on, “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles.”
The 22-time Grammy-winner also raps, “Why you trollin’ like a b—h? Ain’t you tired? / Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor.”
The cover art for the single also trolls Drake. A bird’s-eye view of Drake’s Toronto estate, the pic is altered to resemble a sex offender registry map.
“Not Like Us” was one of 2024’s biggest hits, spending two non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 after its May 4 release.
Lamar was announced as the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner in Sept. 2024.
In a statement released at the time confirming the news, the “King Kunta” rapper seemed to take a swipe at Drake.
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one,” Lamar said, per Billboard.
The LA native previously performed at the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show, which was dedicated to celebrating hip-hop. He joined the likes of Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Mary J. Blige at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
Lamar’s 2025 performance follows Usher’s halftime show at the 2024 Super Bowl.
