Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, which features SZA, declares the “game over”

He did mention Drake’s name. 

The moment that everyone had been looking forward to for months finally arrived. Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance, which featured SZA, his former labelmate, signaled the end of the game.

The great Samuel L. Jackson, dressed in patriotic attire, gave a monologue to start the show. K. Dot tore through the promotional track for his most recent album, GNX, his prior songs, “Humble” and “DNA,” and the former No. 1 single, “Squabble Up.” At one point, his backdrop dancers formed a circle to represent the American flag, dressed in red, blue, and white.

He then played some of his Drake diss songs, including “Euphoria,” “Man At The Garden,” and “Peekaboo,” before telling his female backup dancers that he wanted to perform his hit song, “Not Like Us,” but that people “love to sue,” alluding to Drizzy’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group for harassment and defamation. Notably, the beat from “Not Like Us” played in the background for a brief while. This moved smoothly into “Luther,” when SZA made their appearance and they continued to harmonize throughout the song. Before he arrived at the anticipated conclusion, the pair sang “All The Stars.”

Last but not least, Kendrick Lamar sang “Not Like Us.” He smirked as he boldly spoke the phrase “say Drake,” but he left out the term “pedophile.” The camera pans to Serena Williams’ crip strolling by a street lamp later in the song. This was noteworthy because she is Drake’s ex-girlfriend, he made fun of her husband on “Middle Of The Ocean” from Her Loss, and Lamar stood up for his fellow Compton resident on “Not Like Us.”

With “TV Off,” Dot ended the show. Specifically, the section that starts with him singing “MUSTAAAARD” while the producer stood by him to help him remove his bars. Given that the performance was the last straw for his opponent, it was only appropriate that he shouted “Game Over” when the audience’s lights flashed those precise words. For those who were interested in the beef, in this significant moment for Kendrick Lamar, and in hip-hop in general, it was a moment. Take a look at the performance below.

For Kendrick Lamar, this performance was the culmination of his 2024 effort. It all started when he made a cameo on Future and Metro Boomin’s joint album We Don’t Trust You in March 2024 on the song “Like That,” in which he made fun of Drake and J. Cole. He then released “Euphoria,” “6:16 In LA,” “Meet The Grahams,” and “Not Like Us” after Drizzy had replied.

Lamar proceeded on his victory lap after the 6 God was declared the loser of the beef, which included his most recent album, GNX, released in November 2024, the Pop Out concert on Juneteenth 2024, and the music video for “Not Like Us” in July. SZA, Roddy Ricch, and AzChike were featured on the 12-track album, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. 

K. Dot will now get ready to embark on the Grand National Tour alongside his old labelmate. They will make stops at stadiums around the country, including Inglewood, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto. What a way to punctuate one of the most significant events in hip-hop, beginning with what appeared to be a simple mischievous remark.