Super Bowl LIX drew a bag of mixed responses regarding artist Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance. The 22-time Grammy Award winner’s performance will be primarily remembered for calling out fellow artist Drake during the show.
Lamar’s Antics Lead to Over 100 FCC Complaints
Lamar’s decision to perform in such a manner has drawn 125 FCC complaints, with many enraged towards the “beef” between the two artists.
While the distaste between Lamar and Drake was not the only rage-inducing moment of the performance, it did draw at least 10 of the complaints. The 57-time Grammy nominee tiptoed the line of appropriateness with edgy dance moves, mature lyrics, and even subtle comments hinting at societal issues.
However, artists teetering the line in massive performances is nothing new. Similarly, it is nothing new for complaints to follow certain artists’ halftime shows. The 2020 halftime show with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira clocked over 1,300 unhappy messages to the FCC, making Lamar’s complaint count appear abysmal. In a world where artists must separate themselves to stand out, Kendrick did not shy away from the opportunity.
Unraveling the Lore of Lamar and Drake’s Beef
For over two decades, Lamar and Drake have been atop the hip-hop genre. With 20 number-one hits between the two on the Billboard Hot 100, they are leviathans of the modern music age. Lamar and Drake would go back and forth for years as the inevitable first real shot hit its target in 2023.
Late into 2023, Drake collaborated with fellow hip-hop artist J. Cole to release “First Person Shooter.” In the Drake and Cole piece, Cole ignites the fire discussing a “big three” and referencing himself, Drake, and Lamar. Cole follows such line by saying he feels like “Muhammed Ali,” implying that he reigns supreme.
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Lamar did not take lightly to the subtle diss as he would respond a few months later with the song “Like That.” Lamar teamed up with fellow hip-hop juggernauts Future and Metro Boomin to assemble his side of the argument. Amongst the numerous jabs at Drake and Cole in their song, Lamar leaves no room for interpretation when he states, “it’s just big me.”
This prompted Drake to release two solo diss tracks at Lamar just a month later. Lamar would respond within a week with a six and a half minute solo diss of his own. May 2024 roles around and after several more diss tracks between the two, Lamar drops the biggest of them all with his five Grammy Award-winning “Not Like Us.” As the song slowly became one of the biggest in the world, Lamar eventually built upon it with the “Not Like Us” music video in July of 2024.
If Lamar’s reign on the charts was not enough to silence Drake, the 37-year-old being announced as Super Bowl LIX’s halftime performer surely would be. Following the halftime performance, Drake released an album with artist PARTYNEXTDOOR, where he would answer back to Lamar.
It is nearly April, and it appears the waters have calmed between the two for now. It is safe to say Lamar was not scared of Drake, the public, or any complaints during his undeniably unique halftime performance. Whether you loved or hated the show, it is clear that Lamar got exactly what he wanted out of it: the eyes of 133.5 million people all on him.
