Featured Image Credit: X/@Bestia09
Topics: Super Bowl, Kendrick Lamar, Celebrity, Music
Jess Hardiman
Kendrick Lamar left Super Bowl viewers absolutely stunned when he included a controversial track in his halftime show this evening - although there's one detail you may have missed while you picked your jaw up from off the floor...
Lamar was joined by a couple of A-list guests as he took to the field at New Orleans' Caesars Superdome, with actor Samuel L. Jackson addressing the crowd dressed up as Uncle Sam as he introduced the rapper.
Later in the set, SZA also accompanied Lamar on stage to perform 'Luther' and 'All the Stars', dressed in red leather to fit in with the USA-themed aesthetic.
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Some people had wondered if he might bring out none other than Drake - the rival rapper at the centre of his diss track 'Not Like Us' - but it perhaps wasn't a huge surprise when this didn't materialise.
After all, Drake recently sued Universal Music Group for defamation and harassment after it released the diss track, with his lawyers accusing the record label of launching a 'campaign to create a viral hit' as Lamar describes the 38-year-old as a 'certified p**dophile' - claims that Drake has continuously denied.
But while Lamar didn't bring out his nemesis in person, he did make sure there was a nod to Drake in his show, surprising everyone when he boldly performed the diss track.
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"Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one," he rapped. However, he left out the most controversial lyric from the song.
One fan tweeted: "HE SAID THE F**KING VERSE??? OH DRAKE IS ON THE FLOORRRRR."
Someone else said: "Kendrick really out here calling out Drake at the Super Bowl."
A third wrote: "Kendrick Lamar is cooking Drake in front of the world at the Super Bowl right now."
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Others also clocked the blink-and-you-miss-it moment Lamar appeared to flash a smile to the camera, with one saying: "Lmaoooooo the way he looked at the camera before that 'hey Drake'."
"Not the smile when he said 'Drake'," another echoed.
As with all Super Bowl performers, Lamar had a series of rules to abide by for his halftime show.
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Firstly, songs must be shortened in order to make the medley format work. "You're just running around for 13 minutes, trying to put like a two-hour set for 13 minutes," 2023 headliner Rihanna said at a press conference.
Inappropriate gestures can also land artists in a lot of trouble, with explicit language not allowed for the halftime show - something that rapper M.I.A learnt the hard way when she received a $16.6 million fine after displaying the middle finger during her performance with Super Bowl XLVI headliner Madonna.
Performers also have to be ready to hit the stage in just six minutes, and the show must go on regardless of the weather.