Kendrick Lamar set the stage on fire as he headlined the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, delivering an electric performance while the Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Kansas City Chiefs with a decisive 40-22 victory. "I want to play their favourite song... but you know they love to sue," the rapper quipped just minutes into his Super Bowl halftime performance, setting the stage for a moment fans had been waiting for. Everyone knew exactly what he meant. Not Like Us, his scathing takedown of rap rival Drake, was one of last year’s biggest hits, racking up a billion streams on Spotify and sweeping five Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year.

‍But whether Lamar would—or even could—perform it at the Super Bowl remained a major question after Drake filed a defamation lawsuit over lyrics that accused him of being a sexual predator, claims he has denied. Lamar played into the anticipation, teasing the track repeatedly throughout his set before finally delivering the moment the crowd craved. When the beat dropped, he self-censored the song’s most explosive lyric—where he calls Drake a "certified paedophile"—but his smirk into the camera as he uttered Drake’s name spoke volumes.

He also left in the song’s infamous double entendre: "Tryin' to strike a chord and it's probably A minor." The line echoed through the Caesars Superdome in Louisiana, proving that no lawsuit could suppress the track’s cultural impact. By performing it on one of the world’s biggest stages, Lamar ensured Not Like Us reached an estimated 120 million TV viewers. Elsewhere Lamar was joined by frequent collaborator SZA and surprise guests Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams.

The Wimbledon legend crip walked her way to Not Like Us - with many fans calling her appearance another diss towards Drake. The pair are rumoured to have dated at one point in time. In 2022, in his track Middle of the Ocean, Drake took a shot at Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, calling him a "groupie." He rapped: "Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie / He claim we don't got a problem but / No, boo, it is like you comin' for sushi." Alexis Ohanian responded subtly on Twitter after the song was released, embracing the “groupie” label: He tweeted, “The reason I stay winning is because I'm relentless about being the absolute best at whatever I do—including being the best groupie for my wife & daughter.”

The game, held at New Orleans' Caesars Superdome on Sunday (9 February), was packed with viral moments, including the moment a dancer unfurled a flag featuring "Gaza" and "Sudan" painted in bold black letters. The unidentified man stood atop the GNX car used in Lamar’s set, but was soon tackled by security. "The individual will (be) banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events," NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said in a statement.