Kendrick Lamar has taken another jab at Drake in the promo announcing that he is set to headline the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.
On Sunday (September 8), the NFL announced that K. Dot has been confirmed to headline the Apple Music Halftime Show at next year’s championship game, which is set to take place on February 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar said as part of the formal announcement. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”
Alongside the organization’s statement, which they issued in partnership with Apple and Roc Nation, the former TDE rapper shared a video clip on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and YouTube.
In the clip, Kendrick is seen running a practice session with an unseen receiver off-screen. After launching a few passes, supported by guidance and praise for the player, he shares the big news and subtly references his beef with Drake earlier this summer.
“My name’s Kendrick Lamar and I’ll be performing at Super Bowl LIX,” he begins. “Will you be pulling up? I hope so! You know it’s only one opportunity to win a championship; no round twos. I wouldn’t want you to miss it. Meet me in New Orleans, February 9, 2025. Wear your best dressed too, even if you’re watching from home.”
The “championship” line seems to be a direct call back to a post which Drizzy made via his burner account exactly two weeks prior, amid his onslaught of new releases.
On Sunday (August 25), Drizzy shared a clip of former Detroit Pistons star Rasheed Wallace’s famous interview where he guaranteed that the team would triumph over the Indiana Pacers in game two of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals.
“Y’all can put it on the front page, back page, middle page, wherever, headliners, column one or two — we will win game two,” the four-time NBA All-Star confidently says in the video following the Pistons’ game one defeat.
Sheed’s prediction came true as the Pistons defeated the Pacers on their way to winning the series 4-2.
According to the Associated Press, Roc Nation — which has produced the Super Bowl Halftime Show since 2020 — will share executive producer duties with Emmy Award-winning producer Jesse Collins.As part of the NFL’s official announcement, JAY-Z called Kendrick Lamar a “once-in-a-generation,” adding, “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision,” Jay-Z said. “He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”
In addition to being the undisputed standout track to come from his lyrical war with Drake, Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” is undoubtedly the biggest rap song of 2024.
Its success is expected to be reflected at the Grammy Awards, which are scheduled to take place just one week ahead of Super Bowl LIX — especially after comments made by the Recording Academy’s top dog.
Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy which organizes the Grammys, spoke with who, back in June, shared his opinion of the song with TMZ about K. Dot’s Drake diss and its chances of taking home silverware at next year’s awards.
“Obviously, it’s a hot record, it’s amazing artistry, great writing. The talent on that record is incredible. You have artists who have been nominated before and Kendrick obviously has been successful in the organization.”
He added: “I don’t see any reason why it couldn’t be. It’s all about the quality of the record. It’s really about the members. If the members like it, then it’ll be nominated.”
Mason Jr. was then asked if the fact that the song is a diss record and contains explosive allegations such as Drake being a pedophile would prevent it from being nominated.
“I don’t think so,” he replied. “The voting members of the Academy appreciate greatness, appreciate what’s hot, what’s going on. That’s a relevant record, it’s impacting on so many levels with so much creativity and talent. I like to believe that the Academy members recognize that and they vote appropriately.”
If “Not Like Us” were to win a Grammy, it would become the first rap diss song to do so. Drake’s Meek Mill diss “Back to Back” was nominated for Best Rap Performance in 2016 but lost out to Kendrick’s “Alright.”
Released in early May at the height of K. Dot and Drizzy’s feud, “Not Like Us” not only led to the Compton rapper being crowned the winner of the beef but has become one of the biggest hits of his career.
