Legal expert issues warning to Kendrick Lamar ahead of Super Bowl performance over Drake 'diss'
We're less than a handful of days away now until the Super Bowl kicks off on Sunday (9 February).
Now, while I'm sure many sports fans are buzzing to see the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles - it's clear a lot of us will be tuning in purely to catch the iconic halftime shows.
This year, we can look forward to none other than the G.O.A.T that is Kendrick Lamar - who just took home five Grammys last Sunday (2 February) - taking to the stage.
Oh yeah, and as if things couldn't get even better, the likes of SZA will be joining the 'Not Like Us' rapper on stage as the special guest.
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Any fans of Lamar, 37, will no doubt know all about the beef between himself and fellow rapper, Drake, 38.
On the off-chance you're not in the loop, the pair have had a pretty long history delivering diss tracks towards one another.
However, it wasn't until Lamar dropped 'Not Like Us' back in May that things really heated up.
The lyrics of the track appeared to claim that Drake and his team are pedophiles as they read: "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one / To any b***h 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 paedophiles."
Drake denied such allegations on 'The Heart Pt. 6' diss track.
Meanwhile, 'Not Like Us' debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and in July, he released the music video for the track.
In September, Lamar was named as the 2025 Super Bowl halftime performer.
In January, Drake filed a defamation case in New York City against Lamar's label, Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing the label of supporting a song littered with 'inflammatory and shocking allegations'.
And now, a legal expert issued a warning ahead of Lamar's Super Bowl performance over the Drake diss.
Steve Kuncewicz, member of the Law Society’s Technology and the Law committee and Partner at Glaiysiers law firm, exclusively explained to Tyla a little more about the situation.
He told us that defamation claims can be brought against anyone - including businesses who are involved in the 'publication' or dissemination of a statement which could affect the reputation of an individual.
"This is why Drake's sued Kendrick’s record label and why he may want to go after the Super Bowl Broadcaster," Kuncewicz noted.
The legal expert also pointed out that 'diss tracks are nothing new', adding that actual legal claims involving them are 'very rare' - at least in the US where 'defamation law works a little differently than in the UK'.
"However, it’s one thing to diss for the usual kinds of reasons that lead to beefs between rappers and another to accuse someone of a very serious criminal offence," Kuncewicz outlined.
"We’ve seen plenty of real-life examples of public figures being accused of offences such as pedophilia leading to real-world consequences, especially on social media where beefs are played out, amplified and their claims occasionally taken at face value."
The expert continued: "This isn’t a case of Drake being a sore loser in relation to every claim made in the song, but setting the record straight over claims of pedophilia, and as such it may be that the broadcaster thinks twice about wanting to be drawn into what could be a pretty expensive claim to defend - especially where they’re aware that other litigation’s been threatened and where their audience wouldn’t usually expect to hear these kinds of lyrics in a halftime show."
Kuncewicz explained that the bigger the audience that is exposed to a defamatory statement, the bigger a damages claim would be.
And, if Drake’s willing to sue a record label then he’s 'likely willing' to sue others involved in the 'chain' of making these allegations public.
"We may see other claims against other businesses with deep pockets sooner rather than later," the legal expert concluded.
Tyla has reached out to both Kendrick Lamar and Drake's representatives for further comment regarding Sunday's Super Bowl halftime performance.
Topics: Celebrity, Crime, Kendrick Lamar, Music, Sport, Super Bowl, Drake
Rhiannon Ingle