Rapper Kendrick Lamar will take to the stage in a few hours time as he provides the halftime entertainment at this year's Super Bowl. The 37-year-old will take to the stage at the American football game between Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, alongside singer SZA, after winning five awards including song of the year and record of the year at the Grammy Awards last weekend. Speaking about his performance earlier this week, Kendrick said his set will be about "storytelling" and will "make people listen" but opted not to reveal if he plans to play Not Like Us - the Grammy Award winning diss track about his long-time rival Drake.
As we wait to find out if Kendrick will belt out the song that accuses the Canadian rapper of sexual misconduct, here's everything you need to know about the two mega stars and their decade-long beef. The tension between Kendrick and Drake seemed to ignite in 2013 after Kendrick threw down the gauntlet on his track Control, which left Drake feeling slighted by one particular verse. On the song, Kendrick took aim at numerous hip-hop artists, including Mac Miller, Tyler, Meek Mill, and Drake, aka Drizzy.
Kendrick spat bars like, "I got love for you all but I'm tryna murder you n*****", igniting flames of discord with many of his peers. What was meant as a nod of respect hit a sour note with Drake, born Aubrey Drake Graham. In a 2013 chat with Billboard, he remarked: "It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me." "That's all it was," he continued, confident in his standing: "I know good and well that Kendrick's not murdering me, at all, in any platform.".
Then, during the BET Awards, Kendrick jabbed back with a subtle diss towards Drake, playing off the title of his album Nothing Was The Same: "Yeah and nothing's been the same since they dropped Control, And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pyjama clothes," he spit audaciously. Drake then opened up about his infamous feud with his fellow rapper during a candid interview with Vibe magazine. "I never once said he's [Kendrick] a bad guy [or] I don't like him," he explained. "I think he's a f***ing genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should." He went on to add: "And with that came another step, which then I have to realise I'm being baited and I'm not gonna fall.".
In 2014, Kendrick finally took the beef head-on, famously calling out Drake as "the kid with the motormouth" in his track Language, followed by the pointed lyrics, "Endin' our friendship, baby, I'd rather die alone.". The tensions reportedly escalated to a verbal showdown caught on camera, only for the footage to be allegedly destroyed by their management teams. Over recent years, the pair refrained from public spats but their animosity didn't wane; Kanye West even confirmed in November 2021 that their beef was still going strong.
Kendrick took the feud to a new level last year when he launched another scathing attack on Drake in his diss track in May, accusing the rapper of "liking 'em young". In Not Like Us, Kendrick makes several references to Drake's alleged interactions with younger women. He raps: "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young," before suggesting that Drake would find prison life challenging due to his alleged preferences. Kendrick then issues a warning to "make sure you hide your lil' sister from him." He also took a swipe at Drake's album Certified Lover Boy, singing: "Certified Lover Boy? Certified paedophiles.".
The artist added: "Ain't you tired? / Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A-Minor." The cover art for Not Like Us also takes a jab at Drake, featuring an aerial view of his mansion as it would appear on a sex-offender map. The beef between the two hip-hop stars reignited when Kendrick targeted Drake and J Cole in his song First Person Shooter. While J Cole opted out of the diss track war, Drake has continued to fan the flames. He's accused Kendrick of domestic violence in his song Family Matters.
Kendrick hit back, claiming that Drake is hiding a secret daughter and accusing him of being an absent father. Drake clapped back at Kendrick's allegations about a secret daughter, posting on his Instagram Story: "Nahhhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me." He also quipped: "These guys are in shambles.". In January this year, Drake decided to head to a lawyer's office rather than the studio and began legal action regarding Kendrick's diss tracks. The dad-of-one, 38, launched a federal defamation lawsuit against his music label over Kendrick's Grammy Award winning hit Not Like Us.
The Canadian rapper is taking Universal Music Group to court, alleging they are part of spreading a "false and malicious narrative" that he is a paedophile. According to the court documents, Drake asserts that the label was aware that Kendrick's track would feature lyrics and visuals in a music video that made this accusation against him. He accuses UMG of permitting "'inflammatory and shocking allegations" because the song was a lucrative opportunity for them. Drake also contends that the label promoted Not Like Us knowing it would diminish the value of his own music and strengthen their position in future contract talks.
