Let’s be real: we all knew what was coming. When the lights dimmed at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, nobody was actually wondering who would win between the Chiefs and the Eagles. Well, maybe the bettors were. But for the rest of us? We were waiting for one specific moment. We wanted to see if Kendrick Lamar would actually play "Not Like Us" on the biggest stage in the world.
He didn't just play it. He turned the entire stadium into a courtroom.
Kendrick’s performance wasn't your typical halftime medley. It wasn't a "greatest hits" victory lap like we’ve seen from Usher or Rihanna. It was a dense, heavily symbolic, and—let’s be honest—fairly aggressive piece of performance art. If you were looking for a safe, pop-friendly show, you probably felt a bit out of place. But if you've been following the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake saga that basically consumed the internet in 2024, it was the ultimate mic drop.
The Setlist That Kept Everyone Guessing
The "Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl song" everyone was googling wasn't the first thing he played. In fact, he teased us. He opened the show with a high-energy performance of "Squabble Up" from his late-2024 album GNX. It was a smart move. It set a West Coast tone immediately, featuring Samuel L. Jackson as a sort of "Uncle Sam" figure introducing him.
The energy was twitchy and electric.
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Then came the heavy hitters. "HUMBLE." and "DNA." blasted through the speakers while dancers in red, white, and blue formed an American flag. It felt patriotic, but in a "Kendrick" way—which is to say, it felt like a critique as much as a celebration. But the tension in the room was thick. Every time a beat dropped, the crowd held its breath. Is he going to do it? Is he going to say the words?
When the Diss Finally Dropped
About halfway through, the music slowed down. Kendrick looked right at the camera and said, "I wanna perform they favorite song, but you know they love to sue."
The stadium erupted.
He was referencing the legal drama involving Drake and Universal Music Group. It was a meta-moment that made the whole thing feel dangerous. Then, those four iconic violin notes started. You know the ones. The intro to "Not Like Us" has become the unofficial anthem of "the beef," and hearing it in a stadium with 127 million people watching at home was surreal.
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Interestingly, he didn't just rap the song. He edited it. He skipped the word "pedophile" in the "certified pedophile" line—likely to avoid a massive headache with the FCC or the NFL’s legal team—but he didn't have to say it. 65,000 people in the stands screamed it for him. Serena Williams was even there, crip-walking on stage, which felt like a pointed choice given her history with Drake.
The Surprise Ending Nobody Predicted
Most people thought "Not Like Us" would be the finale. That’s how these shows usually work, right? You end on the biggest hit. But Kendrick isn't "most people."
He actually closed the show with "TV Off." It was a bold, almost dismissive choice. By ending with a newer track that has nothing to do with Drake, he basically said the battle was over. He wasn't defined by the feud; he was moving past it. As the stage lights cut out, the words "GAME OVER" flashed across the big screens. It was cold. It was calculated. It was peak Kendrick.
What Most People Got Wrong
There’s been a lot of chatter about whether the show was "too political" or "too niche." Some people were annoyed that he didn't play "All the Stars" earlier or give SZA more than a couple of songs ("Luther" and "All the Stars"). But that misses the point of who Kendrick is as an artist.
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He didn't come to New Orleans to be a background track for your buffalo wing dip. He came to make a statement about rap music being the "most impactful genre to date."
- The SZA Factor: People expected a 50/50 split, but SZA was clearly a featured guest, not a co-headliner. Her vocals on "Luther" provided a much-needed breath of fresh air between the more aggressive tracks.
- The Cameos: Having Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams wasn't just about star power. It was about West Coast solidarity and cultural weight.
- The "Not Like Us" Edit: Some fans were disappointed he censored the lyrics. Honestly, though? If he hadn't, Fox might have faced a lawsuit that would make the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction look like a minor footnote.
Why This Set Matters for 2026 and Beyond
We’re still talking about this because it changed the "rules" of the Halftime Show. Usually, these performances are scrubbed clean of any real conflict. They’re meant to be universal. Kendrick did the opposite. He leaned into a very specific, very public rivalry and used the biggest platform in existence to claim victory.
The FCC apparently received over 120 complaints about the show, ranging from the "provocative dancing" to the "personal vendetta" against Drake. But the ratings don't lie. It was one of the most-watched halftime shows in history.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the GNX era or understand why "Not Like Us" became such a cultural phenomenon, your best bet is to watch the official Replay on Apple Music. The visual metaphors—like the Buick car Kendrick started on or the "Uncle Sam" costume—make a lot more sense when you can pause and look at the details.
To wrap your head around the full impact, listen to the GNX album in order. It gives "TV Off" and "Squabble Up" the context they need. Kendrick didn't just win a rap battle; he used the Super Bowl to show that he's currently the one holding the remote to the culture.
Next Steps:
If you want to see the full setlist breakdown or the specific lyrical changes Kendrick made for the live broadcast, check out the official Apple Music Super Bowl LIX playlist. It includes the studio versions of every song performed, which helps highlight just how much he tweaked the arrangements for the New Orleans stage.