LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: Kendrick Lamar accepts the Record of the Year award for “Not Like Us” onstage during the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
The legal ramifications are still be sorted out.
Kendrick Lamar continues to ride the “Not Like Us” wave. Whether he likes it or not, the Drake diss will go down as the biggest hit of his career. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and took home five Grammys on Sunday night. It’s also sparked a lawsuit between Drake and the label both artists belong to, UMG. Drake cited defamation as a result of the song’s more salacious claims. This legal quagmire has led some to question whether Kendrick Lamar will play the song during his Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
Well, now we have an answer. TMZ confirmed that Kendrick Lamar will be performing the song during his set. The outlet confirmed the song’s inclusion in the set list with Lamar, the NFL and FOX. A large chunk of the country is going to be singing along to the “A minor” line. The thing is, there may be repercussions to this decision. TMZ reported that lawyers are currently deciding how to broadcast “Not Like Us” during the show. The network could decide to exclude the lyrics that have sparked the Drake lawsuit as a way to prevent further legal action. Or, they could air the song as is, and risk additional lawsuits.
Kendrick Lamar Will Rehearse His Set On February 6
Kendrick Lamar’s set list and lyrics were handed over to NFL and FOX on Wednesday. It remains to be seen how both entities will handle the controversial “Not Like Us” lyrics. Lamar and SZA will rehearse on Thursday, which is when TMZ theorizes the censors will decide and ultimately practice editing around the song if needed. Ironically, Kendrick Lamar claimed the deeper meaning of “Not Like Us” was about morals. He told SZA during Harper’s Bazaar interview that it represents the kind of man he wants to be.
“He has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering,” Lamar said about his potentially defamatory song. “He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes. And not be afraid to share the mistakes and can dig deep down into fear-based ideologies, experiences, to be able to express them without feeling like he’s less of a man.” Kendrick Lamar’s explanation was met with some derision from fans. Regardless, we can’t wait to see how the song gets integrated into Lamar’s set list.
