Topline
Drake and Kendrick Lamar's Controversial History Highlighted at Super Bowl: 'Not Like Us' Sparks Feud Revival
During his halftime performance at the Super Bowl, Kendrick Lamar took aim at rival rapper Drake, incorporating diss track "Not Like Us" into the show and bringing along Drake's ex, Serena Williams, to add fuel to the fire. The feud, which has spanned over a decade, has reached new heights with legal battles and public criticism slung between the two, painting a picture of intense rivalry.
Timeline
Feb. 9, 2025: Drake's adversary, Lamar, traded jabs at the "Certified Lover Boy" during his Super Bowl halftime show, performing "Not Like Us" lyrics like "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young" and "tryna strike a chord, and it's probably A minor," wearing a necklace representing "a minor" chord. The performance did tone down the vicious line about Drake and his associates being "certified pedophiles," instead offering "Certified Lover Boy? Certified—" and a muted scream. Lamar also welcomed Williams to the stage, dancing alongside her during "Not Like Us." Prior to the performance, he mentioned, "I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue."
Feb. 2, 2025: "Not Like Us" became the talk of the town, sweeping the 67th annual Grammy Awards, earning victories for Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year.
Jan. 14, 2025: Before long, Drake retaliated by suing UMG in federal court for defamation, harassment, and deceptive practices, questioning the "certified pedophiles" reference as unequivocally false. He alleged that the controversial line led to violence and unrelenting vitriol towards him.
Nov. 26, 2024: Drake's lawyers advanced a second petition against UMG in Texas court, claiming the label financially incentivized iHeartRadio to boost "Not Like Us" airplay and was aware of the false allegations about Drake.
Nov. 25, 2024: Frozen Moments LLC, Drake's legal entity, filed a petition in New York court alleging UMG artificially inflated "Not Like Us" Spotify streams by employing bots and licensing the track at "drastically reduced rates."
Nov. 22, 2024: Kendrick Lamar unexpectedly released a new album, "GNX," containing veiled references to their ongoing dispute, notably on "wacced out murals" where he referred to Drake's "Taylor Made Freestyle" and the track "heart pt. 6."
Nov. 8, 2024: The combatants found their work recognized during Grammy nominations, with Lamar's "Not Like Us" earning five nominations for Record and Song of the Year, while Drake failed to earn a single nod.
Sept. 11, 2024: Lamar introduced an untitled track that avoided direct mention of Drake, primarily commenting on the pitfalls of celebrity culture and materialism, though certain lyrics, like "Just walked that man down, that’ll do everyone a solid / It’s love but tough love, sometimes you gotta result in violence," were viewed as indirect jabs at Drake.
Sept. 8, 2024: Lamar was announced as the headliner for Super Bowl LIX halftime show in New Orleans, marking his triumphant return to the spotlight, while some believed local legend Lil Wayne should have headlined. Drake's Instagram story flooded with photos of Lil Wayne, his frequent collaborator, adding fuel to the growing controversy.
July 4, 2024: Lamar dropped a "Not Like Us" music video, containing digs at Drake, including his own push-up workout, a reference to his diss track, "Push Ups," and a dance with partner Whitney Alford, viewed by fans as a rebuttal to Drake's allegations of domestic abuse against Lamar.
June 19, 2024: Lamar performed his Drake diss tracks for the first time at his "The Pop Out: Ken & Friends" concert, including five consecutive performances of "Not Like Us" with star support from Los Angeles-based celebrities, sending a clear message to his rival.
June 5, 2024: Fans observed that all Drake-related Instagram posts were quietly deleted, prompting speculation that he might be exiting the feud, though his May 12 Instagram story post hinted at the end of the rap war and an upraising of summer vibes.
May 24, 2024: Drake featured on Sexyy Red’s "U My Everything," marking his first music release post-diss battle, with humorous references to working alongside his adversary's team in hopes of creating a memorable song.
May 13, 2024: Lamar's "Not Like Us" debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with over 70 million streams, making its mark on pop culture once again.
May 11, 2024: A trespasser at Drake's home was apprehended under Ontario's mental health act following an altercation with security guards.
May 9, 2024: Officers were dispatched to Drake's property after a person tried to gain unauthorized access, leading to the person's apprehension under Ontario's mental health act. Reports started to circulate that these incidences were not related to the ongoing artist feud.
May 7, 2024: Lamar's "Not Like Us" broke a Spotify streaming record to become the most-streamed American hip-hop song in a single-day, reaching an astounding 6.59 million streams.
May 7, 2024: "Euphoria" reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with Future's "Like That" (featuring Lamar) following closely at No. 8 and Drake's "Push Ups" earning a respectable No. 17 position.
May 7, 2024: An unidentified security guard was reportedly shot outside of Drake's Toronto estate early in the morning. The connection to the artists' feud was unclear.
May 5, 2024: Drake denied Lamar's claims about his past transgressions with a new release, "The Heart Part 6," following up on his earlier assertions that "I never been with no one under age," while alleging that his team fed Lamar false information for entertainment purposes.
May 5, 2024: Producer Metro Boomin entered the fray by releasing a diss beat, "BBL Drizzy," inviting rappers to participate, alluding to his earlier feud with Drake.
May 4, 2024: Kendrick Lamar volleyed back with "Not Like Us," strategically alluding to Drake's alleged interest in younger women and deeming him and his associates as "certified pedophiles."
May 4, 2024: Drake let his response to Lamar's direct attack be heard via an Instagram story, writing: "nahhhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me."
May 3, 2024: Lamar hit back at Drake with "6:16 in LA," specifically targeting Drake's associates and suggesting that his own team were against him, ominously warning: "can't 'Toosie Slide' up out of this one."
May 3, 2024: Lamar resurfaced with "Meet the Grahams," alleging that Drake was a narcissist and misogynist, questioning his authenticity as a rapper while implying that he had fathered an unacknowledged daughter.
May 3, 2024: In a swift retaliation, Drake released "Family Matters," blasting Lamar's engagement to longtime partner Whitney Alford, suggesting infidelity within their relationship.
May 2, 2024: "Euphoria" climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 11 chart, while Drake's "Push Ups" moved up from No. 15 to No. 11. The increased streams propelled Drake and Lamar into the top three on Spotify's artists daily chart.
May 1, 2024: Drake seemingly replied to Lamar's diss with an Instagram story post, showcasing a scene from the 1999 film "10 Things I Hate About You" in which Julia Stiles' character list her grievances against Heath Ledger's character, possibly mirroring Lamar's "Euphoria."
April 30, 2024: Lamar released "Euphoria," only to watch Drake's "Taylor Made Freestyle" vanish from streaming platforms due to Tupac Shakur's estate threatening legal action for the AI-generated voice featured in the track.
April 21, 2024: Kanye West jumped into the debate with a remix of "Like That," lampooning Drake's music and his deal with Universal Music Group.
April 19, 2024: Drake released a new diss track, "Taylor Made Freestyle," employing AI-enhanced voices of Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur to take aim at his adversary, ending with a taunting challenge: "We waitin' on you."
April 15, 2024: Ross responded with "Champagne Moments," insinuating that Drake had undergone plastic surgery and utilizing ghostwriters, sparking a fresh flare-up in the ever-evolving feud.
April 13, 2024: Leaked recordings of "Push Ups," Drake's response to Lamar's disses, gained momentum online, slamming Lamar's shorter stature and mainstream collaborations with the likes of Taylor Swift and Maroon 5, while dissing other artists, including Rick Ross and The Weeknd.
April 7, 2024: J. Cole disavowed his earlier involvement in the dispute, revealing that he had been pressured to participate by the public opinion, eventually deciding to back down.
April 5, 2024: Striking back, J. Cole released "7 Minute Drill," firing warning shots at Lamar, accusing him of seeking attention and criticizing his new music releases as "tragic."
March 22, 2024: In his verse on Metro Boomin and Future's "Like That," Lamar fired back at J. Cole and other artists shouldering subtler responsibilities, rejecting the "big three" concept and declaring, "It's just big me."
Oct. 6, 2023: Both Drake and J. Cole teamed up with Metro Boomin for the collaboration "First Person Shooter," bringing them together in what seemed like a truce to their ongoing beef.
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- Kanye West joined the feud by releasing a remix of Future's "Like That," featuring a jab at Drake's music and deal with Universal Music Group.
- In response to Lamar's diss track, Drake released a new diss track titled "Taylor Made Freestyle," featuring AI-enhanced voices of Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.
- During his concert, Lamar performed "Not Like Us" for the fifth consecutive time, sending a clear message to Drake with the help of Los Angeles-based celebrities.
- After Drake's Instagram post hinting at the end of the rap war, his fans observed that all Drake-related posts were quietly deleted, prompting speculation about him exiting the feud.
- Kendrick Lamar and Drake found themselves recognized during the Grammy nominations, with Lamar's "Not Like Us" earning five nominations and Drake failing to earn any.
