Kendrick Lamar took the Super Bowl LIX halftime show stage with a performance that had been widely anticipated in the lead-up to the event.
Watch: Kendrick Lamar performs ‘Not Like Us’ at Super Bowl LIX
The rapper, fresh off his Grammy success, delivered a set that featured a mix of his biggest hits before ending with the controversial Not Like Us.
After performing songs such as Humble, DNA, and Euphoria, Lamar teased the audience by saying, “I want to play their favourite song, but you know they love to sue.”
The remark referenced Not Like Us, his diss track aimed at Drake, which has been at the centre of ongoing lawsuits. Despite the legal battle, Lamar went ahead with the performance, bringing out producer Mustard and leading the crowd through the track’s infectious beat and sharp lyrics.
Samuel L. Jackson introduced Lamar’s set, while SZA joined him for All the Stars and Luther, adding a dynamic moment to the show. Tennis star Serena Williams was caught on camera dancing to Not Like Us, later joking on social media,
“I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. I would’ve been fined.”
Lamar made some minor lyrical adjustments during Not Like Us, notably skipping the “paedophiles” reference, but he still name-dropped Drake as in the original song.
The track’s success has been undeniable, spending two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning multiple Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Can Drake sue for this?
Drake’s legal team has previously filed lawsuits alleging that Universal Music Group, the parent label of both artists, engaged in unfair practices to push Not Like Us to viral success.
The lawsuit claims that UMG “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track intended to convey the specific, unmistakable and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile.”
The rapper’s legal team also filed a separate petition alleging that Spotify manipulated streaming numbers to push the song artificially.
Both Spotify and UMG have denied the allegations, calling them “offensive and untrue.”
As for whether Drake can take legal action against Lamar for performing the song at the Super Bowl, the shared sentiment in the US legal fraternity suggests that public performances of a commercially released song are generally protected under copyright law.
Since Not Like Us is an officially distributed track, Lamar had the right to perform it, even if it continues to stir controversy.
With the legal battle ongoing, Lamar’s decision to showcase Not Like Us on one of the world’s biggest stages only adds to the song’s growing legacy.
Whether Drake’s team will take further action remains to be seen, but for now, Lamar has cemented the track’s place in rap history.