When the history books are written about Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s beef, the narrative will begin years before Drake and J. Cole’s “First Person Shooter.” And yet, that song is arguably what changed everything and that’s what crossed the line for Kendrick. In that song, Drake said: “Big as the what? Big as the what? Big as the what? (Ayy)/Big as the Super Bowl.” That was just before he called himself, Cole and Kendrick “the big three.” Kendrick responded with a feature on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” and the rest is history… “Euphoria,” “6:16,” “Meet the Grahams” and the song of the summer, “Not Like Us.”
Kendrick won the rap battle, then further cemented the win by organizing The Pop Out concert on Juneteenth. Then on Independence Day, he dropped the (amazing) music video for “Not Like Us.” Since he’s choosing specifically American holidays to make a point, do you think we’ll get an album on Thanksgiving? He’s got an album coming, right?? Well, in any case, Kendrick has chosen another uniquely American holiday for another “pop out” – he’s just been announced as the headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl Half-Time show in New Orleans. That man is going to have millions of people chanting “they not like us” at the biggest televised event of the year.
.@KendrickLamar. Super Bowl LIX. New Orleans. February 2025. #AppleMusicHalftime@AppleMusic @RocNation @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/1XmZWutsWl
— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
This is why no one – especially Drake – should ever beef with a Gemini. A Gemini will f–k your sh-t up forever. Kendrick wasn’t lying when he said “headshots for the year, you better walk around like Daft Punk.” Now, that being said… while Kendrick is truly the pettiest king to ever walk this earth, let’s not pretend that his discography isn’t amazing past his Drake-specific disses. Two years ago, Kendrick was part of the Halftime show which featured Snoop, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Eminem. Kendrick did a medley of “m.A.A.d. City” and “Alright.” He has plenty of songs to perform which will bring the house down. But yeah, we’re absolutely getting “Not Like Us.” Probably “Like That” as well.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images, screencaps from ‘Not Like Us’.
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- Paris, FRANCE – Rapper Kendrick Lamar leaving the Chanel Private Lunch at Palais Galliera after attending Chanel’s fashion show during Paris Fashion Week. Pictured: Kendrick Lamar BACKGRID USA 4 JULY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Celebrities attend the Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Chanel Fashion Show in Paris Featuring: Kendrick Lamar Where: Paris, France When: 23 Jan 2024 Credit: Serge Arnal/Starface Photo/Cover Images **UK AND USA RIGHTS ONLY**
That’s awesome!! Good for him. Can’t wait for his album.
a Project 2025 that I can get behind!
👏👏👏
Love Kendrick Lamar
I’m excited!! Keeping my expectations low but I would love if Rih joined him for Loyalty. Anyone acting like he doesn’t have any pre-Drake beef hits are lying through their teeth. Kendrick’s showmanship is excellent so I’m excited to see his performance!
My goodness he is handsome. He has such a beautiful face. I hope he performs DNA. It’s going to be a great halftime show.
One of my favorite songs!
Yes I’m hopping he performs i , The Heart part 5 and bring out Riri, Sza, Beyoncé and Baby Keem . What ever he does I know that it’s going to be amazing and memorable.
Kendrick truly is special, not only when he beefs and wins, as his influence goes way beyond rap.
He got an Oscar nomination for his contributions to the Black Panther soundtrack, and Damn was the first album outside of classical and jazz to receive a Pulitzer Prize for Music.
So I’m here in Europe, looking forward to hearing “A minoooorr” echoing around the world for Superbowl LIX.
How did Drake EVER think he could win against this man? Talk about hubris.
I hope he brings his wife and kids out to dance at the superbowl. Final nail on Drake’s coffin.
“A minooor” – lord that one made me deceased. lmao.
So simple but so clever. Anyone who hears it and gets the reference can’t help but be like oh shiiiiiit.
He’s a genius. I hope he stays on the right path.
Drake didn’t learn sh*t, he and his bot farm were just talking about “round 2”. Kendrick’s fans were expecting something from him to shut Drake up, but I don’t think anyone predicted a Super Bowl performance from him. So, in the video, Kendricks says “There is only one opportunity to win the Championship. No round two’s.” This beef really turned into a humiliation fest for Drake.
Drake probably has new writers. lol. He doesn’t have the common sense to know when to take the L and is desperate for a win. None of his latest songs have made it to the top 10 let alone the top 20 on any music charts, yet Kendrick Not like Us is still on the top 10 billboards chart.
Drake just keeps taking hits. I don’t know how he can show his head during Super Bowl time.
I love Kendrick Lamar, but since the Super Bowl is in New Orleans, I am hoping that he includes some New Orleans performers as guests.
One could argue that they should have chosen Jon Batiste to be the featured entertainment. There is also some chat in the internet about how Lil Wayne (who is from New Orleans) should have been asked. And then there is Big Freedia, Terance Blanchard, ReBirth Brass Band, Neville Brothers (who are left), some sort of Marsalis (Wynton, Brandon, Jason) group … I could go on.
I think, Jay Z (his company) decides who is gonna get asked. Do past performers get chosen based on where they are from? I don’t remember people talking about Rihanna, Usher, the Weeknd like that. Kendrick made 2024 an unforgettable year for rap. I am not surprised by him getting asked.
I read that it was actually Master P was in charge of putting together the musical performances for the Super Bowl this year he is from New Orleans and chose Kendrick.
@Lauren, are you sure? I read that Master P asked Jay Z to include Lil Wayne as a performer too. Why would he ask that publicly if he was in charge of the selection? Jay-Z also made a public statement about Kendrick, so I assume he was in charge.
I looked up who performed at the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans: It was Beyonce (it was the year she had to go before the press to prove she could sing the national anthem live), with Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland. Alicia Keys sung the national anthem; Jennifer Hudson and a chorus of students from Sandy Hook Elementary School: Performed “America the Beautiful” as a tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The “Human Jukebox” from Southern University (based in New Orleans) performed during the pregame.
That all said, I haven’t had time to check if whoever is organizing it taps at some point local/area performers for the halftime show (and in 2014, the pregame). Just thought it was a lost opportunity to showcase one of the top music cities in the U.S.
Most people don’t know who those Nola artists are and Lil Wayne music would not be appropriate for Super Bowl. It would require a lot of rewrites.
If the chiefs make it to the super bowl will Taylor come out for a short snippet of bad blood?