Will Kendrick Lamar perform ‘Not Like Us’? Explaining Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Super Bowl halftime performer

Super Bowl 59 will be a significant spectacle for a number of reasons. The Chiefs have a chance to etch themselves further into football immortality with a third straight title defense, while the Eagles are looking to vanquish the NFL’s greatest modern-day dynasty — a Kansas City side led by Philadelphia’s greatest-ever coach in Andy Reid.

There are ample storylines contained within the margins of Kansas City and Philly’s joust. Yet, per usual, much of the spotlight surrounding the mid-February clash of football superpowers will land squarely on the stage that will be erected at halftime.

This year’s Super Bowl halftime show belongs to Kendrick Lamar. The Compton-born rapper is capping a stunning 12-month run with an appearance at the world’s biggest concert.

Lamar is arguably the greatest rapper alive. He flexed his might with a gaggle of releases throughout 2024, namely “Not Like Us,” a dressing-down of fellow rap supernova Drake that sits somewhere between Tupac Shakur’s “Hit ‘Em Up,” Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline” and Nas’ “Ether” in diss track lore.

The melody, released in May to widespread acclaim, became the song of the spring, summer, fall and winter for legions of rap enthusiasts. Its critical and commercial success would appear to predestine it for a featured slot on Lamar’s track list come Super Bowl Sunday. That might not be the case, though.

With that, here’s what you need to know about Lamar’s plans for Super Bowl 59, including whether he’ll be performing “Not Like Us” or not during his showcase.

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Will Kendrick Lamar perform ‘Not Like Us’ at Super Bowl 59?

Lamar’s most prominent track over the past calendar year is “Not Like Us,” an elegy of sorts for Drake, his character and the nature of his musical career up to date. Given its success — the tune surged to the top of the Billboard charts and earned No. 1 billing on a host of end-of-the-year lists — it seems as good a candidate as any to spill from the stadium speakers during the Super Bowl 59 halftime show.

And yet, there’s still uncertainty as to whether Lamar will make the ditty a part of his set list.

There are a few reasons why Lamar could avoid including “Not Like Us” in his Super Bowl catalog. Drake, the leading target of many of Lamar’s barbs on “Not Like Us,” issued a lawsuit back in January against his and Lamar’s distributor, Universal Music Group, alleging that the musical superpower defamed and harassed him by spreading the “false and malicious narrative” that he engages in sexual relations with minors as well as sex trafficking and also harbors sex offenders.

Drake’s legal team claims that UMG used its sizable leverage as music’s “most powerful company” to drum up and profit off of rumors of Drake’s alleged sexual misconduct. The suit also suggests that UMG was aware that the lyrics and images in the “Not Like Us” music video were false and harmful, but opted to choose “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”

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“Beginning on May 4, 2024, and every day since, UMG has used its massive resources as the world’s most powerful music company to elevate a dangerous and inflammatory message that was designed to assassinate Drake’s character, and led to actual violence at Drake’s doorstep,” Drake’s legal team wrote in a statement to USA Today.

In Nov. 2024, Drake announced plans to take legal action against UMG, Spotify and iHeartRadio, filing a petition in New York and Texas accusing the triumvirate of participating in a scheme to push “Not Like Us” to the top of the charts.

Although he seems to have backed down from his prior claims, he’s remain steadfast in his pursuit of legal action against UMG, the company that has distributed his music for the better part of 15 years. Drake’s team asserts that because Drake’s current contract with UMG is nearing its expiry, UMG hoped to devalue the 38-year old artist in the hopes of strengthening their negotiating position.

Drake’s lawsuit isn’t directed at Lamar himself. But the nature of the filing could give Lamar and UMG pause, even if that seems somewhat fanciful given Lamar and Drake’s feud.

There’s also the question of whether the Lamar, his label or the NFL deem “Not Like Us” to be suitable for household audiences. The NFL has gone great lengths to craft a family-friendly image to masses of consumers. While Lamar carries significant star power, the track largely revolves around allegations of sexual misconduct levied at Drake. Even the tune’s bridge, highlighted by the captivating “He a fan, he a fan, he a fan” lines, shines light on Drake’s perceived sexual misdeeds.

Still, there’s reason to believe Lamar will perform the track once he mounts the stage at the Superdome on Feb. 9. Fox, the lead broadcaster of Super Bowl 59, teased Lamar’s upcoming performance with a promo video featuring the “Not Like Us” instrumental during the NFC championship.

Still, it’s hard to see the melody, laced with profanity and lasting upwards of four minutes long, being played in all of its glory — or, in Drake’s case, infamy. If Lamar is to offer a rendition of the number, it will be altered greatly — either in length, content, tone or all of the above.

So, don’t get your hopes up on hearing the grittiest parts of “Not Like Us.” The NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show is as manicured as one performance can get, with the league moving heaven and earth to cater it to as many audiences as possible. Lamar’s presence on the stage will do little to quell that pursuit.

‘Not Like Us’ lyrics

Psst, I see dead people
(Mustard on the beat, h—)

Ayy, Mustard on the beat, h—
Deebo any rap n—, he a free throw
Man down, call an amberlamps, tell him, “Breathe, bro”
Nail a n— to the cross, he walk around like Teezo
What’s up with these jabroni-a— n— tryna see Compton?
The industry can hate me, f— ’em all and they mama
How many opps you really got? I mean, it’s too many options
I’m finna pass on this body, I’m John Stockton
Beat your a— and hide the Bible if God watchin’
Sometimes you gotta pop out and show n—
Certified boogeyman, I’m the one that up the score with ’em
Walk him down, whole time, I know he got some h— in him
Pole on him, extort s—, bully Death Row on him
Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young
You better not ever go to cell block one
To any b— that talk to him and they in love
Just make sure you hide your lil’ sister from him
They tell me Chubbs the only one that get your hand-me-downs
And Party at the party playin’ with his nose now
And Baka got a weird case, why is he around?
Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles
Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop, Dot, f— ’em up
Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop, I’ma do my stuff
Why you trollin’ like a b—? Ain’t you tired?
Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor

They not like us, they not like us, they not like us
They not like us, they not like us, they not like us

You think the Bay gon’ let you disrespect Pac, n—?
I think that Oakland show gon’ be your last stop, n—
Did Cole foul, I don’t know why you still pretendin’
What is the owl? Bird n— and burnt b—, go
The audience not dumb
Shape the stories how you want, hey, Drake, they’re not slow
Rabbit hole is still deep, I can go further, I promise
Ain’t that somethin’? B-Rad stands for b— and you Malibu most wanted
Ain’t no law, boy, you ball boy, fetch Gatorade or somethin’
Since 2009, I had this b— jumpin’
You n—’ll get a wedgie, be flipped over your boxers
What OVO for? The “Other V— Option”? P—
N— better straighten they posture, got famous all up in Compton
Might write this for the doctorate, tell the pop star quit hidin’
F— a caption, want action, no accident
And I’m hands-on, he f— around, get polished
F— on Wayne girl while he was in jail, that’s connivin’
Then get his face tatted like a b— apologizin’
I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither
From Alondra down to Central, n— better not speak on Serena
And your homeboy need subpoena, that predator move in flocks
That name gotta be registered and placed on neighborhood watch
I lean on you n— like another line of Wock’
Yeah, it’s all eyes on me, and I’ma send it up to Pac, ayy
Put the wrong label on me, I’ma get ’em dropped, ayy
Sweet Chin Music and I won’t pass the aux, ayy
How many stocks do I really have in stock? Ayy
One, two, three, four, five, plus five, ayy
Devil is a lie, he a 69 God, ayy
Freaky-a— n— need to stay they a— inside, ayy
Roll they a— up like a fresh pack of ‘za, ayy
City is back up, it’s a must, we outside, ayy

They not like us, they not like us, they not like us
They not like us, they not like us, they not like us

Once upon a time, all of us was in chains
Homie still doubled down callin’ us some slaves
Atlanta was the Mecca, buildin’ railroads and trains
Bear with me for a second, let me put y’all on game
The settlers was usin’ townfolk to make ’em richer
Fast-forward, 2024, you got the same agenda
You run to Atlanta when you need a check balance
Let me break it down for you, this the real n— challenge
You called Future when you didn’t see the club (Ayy, what?)
Lil Baby helped you get your lingo up (What?)
21 gave you false street cred
Thug made you feel like you a slime in your head (Ayy, what?)
Quavo said you can be from Northside (What?)
2 Chainz say you good, but he lied
You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars
No, you not a colleague, you a f— colonizer
The family matter and the truth of the matter
It was God’s plan to show y’all the liar