Kendrick Lamar censors explicit Drake lyrics but brings out rapper’s famous ex during Super Bowl halftime show

Serena Williams is still reeling from her surprise appearance at the Super Bowl last night where she performed alongside Kendrick Lamar during his epic halftime show. Kendrick, 37, headlined during the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs NFL game, which resulted in the former claiming a shocking victory at the Superdome in New Orleans. During his set, the Grammy-winning rapper again took aim at Drake despite censoring his famous diss track accusing the rapper of being a paedophile.

Kendrick didn’t miss his chance to poke at Drake in another way too – by bringing out the Canadian rapper’s ex-girlfriend, tennis superstar Serena Williams. Serena, 43, who was rumoured to have dated Drake about a decade ago, appeared on stage to crip-walk in the middle of the song Not Like Us, later posting a video getting her make-up done backstage and writing: ‘Let’s go Super Bowl halftime??! I died a little!’.

In the lead-up, there was significant speculation Kendrick would perform Not Like Us, which was released last year and took his beef with Drake, 38, to another level. In the track, which recently won two Grammy awards and five in total, sees Kendrick say Drake ‘likes ‘em young’ and goes on to allege: ‘Certified Lover Boy, certified paedophiles.’. During the halftime show, Kendrick teased the song with several false starts before launching into it during his 13-minute set, which is expected to have reached 120million TV viewers.

In the performance he directly addressed his rival, rapping the lines ‘Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young’ and ‘tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably A minor’, with the crowd roaring back in return. However, he did censor the most controversial and explicit line, avoiding calling Drake a paedophile, which he does in the recording and has previously done during other live performances.

Instead, he rapped: ‘Certified Lover Boy? Certified …’ before cutting himself off with a pre-recorded screaming sound at the point before he’d usually drop the allegation. Drake, who is currently on tour in Australia, has not responded to the halftime show, but around the same time posted a series of photos of himself on stage to Instagram. Kendrick’s halftime show also featured other famous faces. Although it had only previously been announced SZA would join him on stage, Samuel L. Jackson also made a surprise appearance.

The 76-year-old actor dressed as Uncle Sam, a 19th century symbol of American patriotism, and jokingly referenced wanting to rein in Kendrick to present a more ‘appropriate’ performance. ‘No no no no no! Too loud, too reckless — too ghetto! Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!’ he quipped. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video.

Up Next. GNX (Teaser). Squabble Up. Humble. Euphoria. Man at the Garden. Peekaboo. Luther. All the Stars. Not Like Us. TV Off. As part of the act Kendrick then launched into two of his biggest hits, Humble and DNA, being joined on stage with dancers wearing red, white and blue streetwear and positioned in the shape of the American flag. At one point the actor added, ‘Thats what America wants! Nice and calm. You’re almost there don’t mess this…’ before being cut off as Kendrick launched into Not Like Us.

During the halftime show, a protestor carrying a Palestinian flag also stormed the stage and get on top of a car that was being used as a prop. Happening during the end of the set, they danced along to the song TV Off while waving the flag before security chased them around the field, tackling them to the ground and removing them from the venue. Although this is Kendrick’s first time headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, also making history as the first solo hi-hop artist to do so, he was also a guest during Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre’s 2022 headline slot where he performed his 2015 song Alright.

Countless celebrities were also spotted attending the game, including Taylor Swift – whose partner Travis Kelce’s team lost the Super Bowl. She was seen with Ice Spice, while other famous faces there included Louis Tomlinson, Kevin Costner, Paul Rudd, Pete Davidson, Miles Teller and Martha Stewart. Also in attendance was Bradley Cooper, Beyonce and Jay Z, Lady Gaga, Post Malone and Anne Hathaway.

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