“Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Stage Design Unveils a Sleek, Cryptic Nod to Drake that Fans Are Just Now Discovering!”

Kendrick Lamar really does everything for a reason—and boy, did he prove that during his electrifying Super Bowl halftime performance on February 9. Imagine this: a packed stadium, millions glued to their screens, and in the center of it all, Lamar unleashing a setlist where the air crackles with tension—not just from the beats, but from the lyrical barbs aimed right at his high-profile rival, Drake. Can you fault a guy for wanting to poke a little fun at his competition while riding the high of a massive stage? One particular track, “Not Like Us,” which erupted onto the scene earlier in May 2024, didn’t just dominate the airwaves; it also sent waves through the ongoing rap beef saga. Not to mention, there were sly video game nods and cheeky lawsuits tucked into the mix. Who knew a halftime show could rival a sitcom for drama? If you didn’t catch this spectacle or follow the behind-the-scenes nuances, you’re missing out on more than just music; you’re missing a cultural moment that had everyone buzzing! To dive deeper into Kendrick’s game-changing performance and the layers that came with it, click here: LEARN MORE.

Kendrick Lamar really does everything for a reason.

The American rapper put in a memorable Super Bowl half-time performance last night (9 February), and made further headlines for one of the songs on his setlist.

You don’t need to be a genius to figure out which of the ‘HUMBLE’ rapper’s tunes we’re on about.

‘Not Like Us’ was released in May 2024, and it was widely regarded as the song of the summer, despite being the exclamation mark in a rap beef with Canadian rapper, Drake.

While he was seen particularly enjoying himself when dissing his rival in front of millions on national TV, the 37-year-old artist certainly got the crowd up on their feet at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana with his setlist.

And Lamar went on to perform his diss track as part of the show, despite Drake already filing a lawsuit against the record company, though he had to censor his well-known ‘certified p**dophile’ line, for all the kids watching.

For those who aren’t familiar with the line, it goes: “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one / To any b**ch that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your lil’ sister from him / They tell me Chubbs the only one that get your hand-me-downs / And Party at the party playin’ with his nose now / And Baka got a weird case, why is he around? / Certified Lover Boy? Certified (missed out ‘p**dophiles’ lyric).”

But after performing the song in front of millions and giving the camera a cheeky smile, it turns out that there’s been another dig at Drake that we’ve missed.

The rapper is known for his subliminal messaging (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Surprisingly, it was video game-related, and it could be seen at the end of the show.

As the crowd cheered and applauded him after appearances from SZA and Samuel L. Jackson, Lamar closed his show by turning the lights down, the words ‘Game Over’ being displayed on the side of the stadium.

On stage though, the iconic Playstation symbols of a cross, circle, triangle, and square could be seen.

More or less a victory lap after triumphing over Drake, this move may have been one to rub salt into the wounds of the Canadian, who is currently in Australia.

Regardless, music and video game fans were elated to see that the stage was seemingly a big reference to gaming after the iconic show that the LA rapper put on.

SZA made an appearance for a couple of Lamar’s songs (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

One fan took to X to say: “Kendrick Lamar brought out the PlayStation symbols and said ‘Game Over’.”

Another wrote: “Serena Williams, Samuel Jackson, PlayStation references, the GNX, the whole stadium yelling ‘A MINORR’ ugh the dancers in red, white & blue, SZA?! Thank you Kendrick. The revolution will be televised.”

Minutes before playing ‘Not Like Us’, the rapper even said: “I want to play their favourite song… but you know they love to sue,” referencing Drake’s lawsuit.

The tune went viral and will undoubtedly go down as one of the tunes of the 2020s, earning the rapper a number of Grammy awards just a week before this performance.