Kendrick Lamar camp confirms ‘Not Like Us’ performance at Super Bowl 59 Halftime: Reports

Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' track, popularly known as Drake diss will have to get the NFL committee's approval before featuring in the Super Bowl LIX Halftime show.

Kendrick Lamar camp confirms ‘Not Like Us’ performance at Super Bowl 59 Halftime: Reports

Patrick Mahomes and Kendrick Lamar (Image via IMAGO)

Kendrick Lamar is set to take a bold step for his Super Bowl LIX halftime performance. Despite the possibility of backlash and the chances of a lawsuit, Lamar will feature his controversial song ‘Not Like Us’ in New Orleans.

Usually, performers need to turn in their list of songs on Wednesday, which is the normal procedure. According to TMZ, Lamar wants to perform ‘Not Like Us’ in front of Donald Trump, Lionel Messi, Taylor Swift, and 80,000 people inside the Caesar Superdome in New Orleans.

YouTube video

Lamar won’t be the only musical star to grace NOLA on Sunday, February 9. Before his Super Bowl halftime show, several noteworthy faces are set to light the stage before the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Grammy-winning songwriter and composer Jon Batiste will perform the National Anthem, Trombone Shorty, to showcase his rendition of ‘America the Beautiful’ alongside Lauren Daigle. Grammy-winning R&B singer Ledisi will conclude the pre-game festivities. Later, Lamar will be accompanied by SZA during the halftime performance.

What is the controversy surrounding Kendrick Lamar’s song ‘Not Like Us?’

2024 was an eventful year for the 37-year-old. After releasing the ‘Not Like Us’ music video on various platforms, fans noticed that he gave a shoutout to Drake in one of the verses. Now, the translation of that particular verse isn’t PG-13; it’s the opposite.

Kendrick Lamar camp confirm 'Not Like Us' performance at Super Bowl 59 Halftime: Reports
Kendrick Lamar (Image via IMAGO)

Fans surmised Lamar indirectly called Drake a ‘Pedophile’ in the song, creating a major controversy. The irony was that it was Universal Music Group who published the song, a company with which Darke is all too familiar.

Drake reportedly signed a $400 million with UMG in 2022, and he was shocked at how the company could allow Lamar to make such a song, let alone publish it. The 38-year-old Canadian rapper’s representatives filed a lawsuit, but according to the details, it was against UMG and not Lamar.

This lawsuit is not about the artist [Kendrick Lamar] who created ‘Not Like Us.’ It is, instead, entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize.

TMZ reported.

Lamar could be on thin ice

If TMZ’s reports are to be believed and Lamar has every intention of performing ‘Not Like Us’ at Super Bowl LIX, then the situation may get dicey. Even though the lawsuit only targeted UMG, who is stopping Drake from filing a new one against Lamar after the Super Bowl?

The FOX Network and the NFL committee are aware of the ramifications. Even if they give a green light to Lamar’s request, they can always censor [bleep] the lyrics of Drake because the live stream usually has a five- to ten-second delay.