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Four songs, five Grammies, and a high-profile lawsuit. Kendrick Lamar has had arguably the biggest year of his career so far, sweeping every category he was nominated for at the Grammys, holding the charts for 48 straight weeks and counting, and performing on one of the world’s biggest stages last weekend: the Super Bowl Halftime show. Lamar is one of the most recognizable names in music. Still, his record-breaking success this year cannot be solely attributed to his poetic lyrics, double-entendres, and unique artistic vision: it’s intrinsically tied to a feud that’s been festering for a decade – a feud with Toronto-based rapper, actor, and singer Drake.
This weekend featured two battles: one on the field and one on the stage. As Kendrick prepares to deliver the biggest performance of his life, his fans ask one question: Will Lamar bring this game to an end? Will he, once and for all, ruin Drake’s reputation? Will he double down on his claims despite the looming threat of a defamation lawsuit? But the biggest question is, will Kendrick play Not Like Us?
The answer was a resounding “yes” all these questions and more. Opening with a theme of “America’s game,” Lamar’s performance featuring Samuel L Jackson as Uncle Sam, SZA, Serena Williams, producer Mustard, and over a hundred dancers all clad in red-white-and-blue was a celebration of the West Coast as well as his discography, pulling chart-topping hits and deep cuts alike. The stage featured nods to a Play-station controller with the classic circle, square, triangle, an X adorning the four corners of the stage, and a “game over” sign to close out his set.
Kendrick first teased the infamous diss track Not Like Us in the middle of his set, poking fun at the threat of Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group that resulted from the claims posed in the many songs preceding Not Like Us. Not Like Us has won Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video, and Best Rap Performance. And now he sang its most defamatory lyrics on live TV by 76,000 people, but it wasn’t the only Drake diss track performed. Kendrick gave fans a taste of Euphoria, not only poking fun at Drake but celebrating his hometown of Compton, CA, in the process, all while asserting that while Drake may try to adopt culture found in the U.S., they aren’t like us.
Lamar’s performance was the climax of this historical public feud. Still, it was so much more than a slap-in-the-face for Drake: it was a love letter to Kendrick’s roots and a reminder that no matter “how loud, how reckless” Jackson’s Uncle Sam called Kendrick Lamar, his impact and Hip-Hop’s influence on pop culture is here to stay.
