A Super Bowl-sized smackdown: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake Rap Beef explained

Hip-hop beefs are nothing new. But when the world’s biggest rap feud takes center stage at the Super Bowl, we’ve officially entered a new era of pettiness, poetry and perfectly timed punches.

Kendrick Lamar, the Pulitzer-winning, Compton-bred rap savant, recently took his ongoing war with Drake to the biggest stage possible: Super Bowl 59. And he didn’t just perform—he made sure to throw a few lyrical jabs, because what’s a rap beef without a little showmanship? (Oh, and let’s be clear, Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was bigger than a beef. It was a message that America needed to hear….but this article isn’t about that.)

Now, before you break out the “Can’t we all just get along” mantra, remember that rap beefs have been around for as long as rap (can you say Ice Cube v. NWA, Tupac v Biggie). 

Anyway, if you’re late to the drama like me (or just need a play-by-play of how we got here), don’t worry—we’re about to break it down. Buckle up, because this one involves sneaky disses, ghostwriting scandals, diss tracks dropping like mixtapes in 2008 and even a potential secret love child (allegedly).

Drake vs. Kendrick

To understand the magnitude of what just happened at the Super Bowl, we need to rewind to 2024 when Kendrick and Drake turned the rap world into their own personal WWE ring—minus the folding chairs, and plus some serious bars.

The two started out as friendly collaborators over a decade ago, sharing tracks like Poetic Justice and Buried Alive Interlude. But somewhere between Kendrick’s competitive spirit and Drake’s “I-don’t-know-why-they-been-lyin’” energy, things went left—hard.

Here’s how it escalated:

• 2013: Kendrick sort of dissed Drake (and half the rap game) on Control, saying he wanted to “murder” his peers.
• 2015: Kendrick threw shade at ghostwriters on King Kunta (which everyone assumed was about Drake).
• 2016: Even Barack Obama got involved, declaring Kendrick would wash Drake in a rap battle (sorry, OVO).
• 2023: The beef went full scorched-earth, with back-to-back-to-back diss tracks, accusations of ghostwriting, and even an alleged secret daughter (we’ll get to that).
• 2024: This is the year that the diss songs went next level. Lamar took public aim at Drake with his verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” in the spring of 2024. From there, it was “Family Matters,” where Drake claimed Lamar physically abused his partner Whitney Alford to Lamar’s “Meet the Grahams,” where the rapper laid out serious allegations of abuse, addiction and a hidden second child against Drake. Then on May 4, Lamar released “Not Like Us,” calling Drake and his associates “certified pedophiles,” who groom girls. He dropped Drake’s home address and roasted his whole existence. The track became the song of the summer, and broke Billboard records and attacked Drake’s presence and status in the industry, which he’s said is one of a “colonizer” – someone who tries to ingratiate himself in Black culture and try on for size without really being of the culture. The song was the knockout punch of this rap war. 

Drake, meanwhile, fired back with multiple diss tracks (including one that used AI-generated voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg… which led to a lawsuit), but Kendrick wasn’t fazed. His response? Dropping the Not Like Us music video, in which he literally beats up an owl piñata (a reference to Drake’s OVO brand).

Game, set, match.

The Super Bowl moment that took the beef worldwide

Fast-forward to February 2025. Kendrick Lamar is set as the Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner, right after winning five Grammys for “Not Like Us” (yes, a Drake diss track is now Record of the Year material).

This wasn’t just a performance. This was a victory lap.

• Theatrics? Check.
• Subliminal (and not-so-subliminal) shots at Drake (including his ex, Serena Williams C-walking on the stage)? Check.
• SZA, because every great moment needs SZA? Check.

It was the most culturally significant halftime show since Beyoncé had us googling “Black Panther berets.”

Kendrick’s performance was a message to Drake—and honestly, to the whole world—that this wasn’t just rap beef anymore. This was history.

Drake’s response: Passive-aggression & legal action?

Drake, never one to take an L quietly, allegedly threw some shade on Instagram Stories, posting a cryptic caption about “real ones knowing the truth” (Bro, just @ him at this point).

Oh, and let’s not forget his legal campaign against Universal Music Group (his label), claiming they manipulated streaming numbers for Not Like Us to make it a bigger hit. My guy, if you think bots made Not Like Us a hit, you clearly haven’t been to a Black cookout lately.

So… What’s next?

At this point, Drake has two options:

1. Drop another diss track and try to reclaim some dignity (which, let’s be real, might not end well).
2. Take the L and move on (probably the best option, but also the least fun for the rest of us).

Meanwhile, Kendrick is probably somewhere laughing in a dimly lit studio, sipping tea and writing his next Pulitzer-winning verse.

One thing’s for sure: this beef isn’t just for the culture—it is the culture. And whether you’re Team Kendrick, Team Drake, or just here for the memes, you can’t deny that this is one of the most entertaining rap wars of all time.

Oh, and if Drake ever dares to respond? You know Kendrick is ready.

Pass the popcorn.