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Kendrick Lamar has three epic Drake killers most Super Bowl viewers missed

Not only did Kendrick perform his smash hit "Not Like Us," he took his Drake beef to a crushing level that would have only been noticed by his diehard fans.
Matthew Graham|
Feb 9, 2025: Kendrick Lamar performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX.
Feb 9, 2025: Kendrick Lamar performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Kendrick Lamar was a very controversial Super Bowl halftime act by NFL standards.

And if the NFL was looking to grab polarizing attention, mission accomplished.

The American rapper and Pulitzer Prize winner owned 2024 with his smash hit, "Not Like Us," which put his now nemesis Drake on blast, eventually leading to a lawsuit filed by the Canadian hitmaker against their shared label.

RELATED: Why Kendrick Lamar had ‘Gloria’ jacket for Super Bowl halftime show

Kendrick Lamar
Feb 9, 2025: Kendrick Lamar performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

So many astute music observers wondered if Lamar, who won the "Song of the Year" Grammy for his party anthem, would double down on the biggest stage imaginable, Super Bowl LIX, given the legal tangle.

At first the 37-year-old Compton native teased a beat midway through his performance, but then came the hammer with the full version. Most casual fans wondered why the heck tennis great Serena Williams was grooving onstage for it.

RELATED: Drake owned by NBA star in Kendrick Lamar revenge fail

Drake, 38, seemed to confirm that he and Williams, 43, dated when he released throwback studio footage to answer who was the woman he was dissing in his 2016 hit, "Too Good." He called her and husband Alexis Ohanian out again in his 2022 song "Middle of the Ocean," calling him a "groupie."

Serena Williams
James Lang-Imagn Images

Just before Williams, Lamar performed with SZA, 35, who also dated Drake, to sing their collaborations "Luther" and "All the Stars." The R&B singer did not have nice things to say about the man with 13 No. 1 hits, calling him in a past interview, "so childish."

SZA
Feb 9, 2025: SZA performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The biggest dagger might have been Kendrick Lamar's "a" necklace. It's an "A minor," of course made famous as the go-to, sing-along party line from "Not Like Us."

Kendrick Lamar
Feb 9, 2025: Kendrick Lamar's "a" necklace was next-level trolling for the Super Bowl LIX halftime performance | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Why you trollin' like a b***h? Ain't you tired?... Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor."

All is fair in love and war. For Kendrick Lamar and Drake, this is still very much a war.

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Matthew Graham
MATTHEW GRAHAM

Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.

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