• Loading stock data...
Monday, August 25, 2025
Front Office Sports Honors winners are here! View the 2025 winners

Kendrick Lamar’s High-Risk, High-Reward Super Bowl Halftime Show

Lamar’s big performance could be even more important for the NFL than it will be for him. But the star’s halftime appearance is not without complications.

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Recording artist Kendrick Lamar poses for a photo during a press conference for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Media Center
Kirby Lee/Imagn Images

Super Bowl LIX halftime performer Kendrick Lamar is at the top of his game.

He’s coming off a Grammy Awards sweep one week before the Super Bowl, winning all five of the categories for which he was nominated: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video.

Super Bowl halftime shows can be an opportunity for artists to reignite their careers. But Lamar’s star is about as bright as the Big Game itself—and the NFL could get a jump from the artist’s performance, not the other way around. His surge in popularity is especially welcome in a year in which Chiefs fatigue and low ticket prices are taking some excitement out of the Super Bowl.

Halftime performers don’t get paid, but they usually see a nice boost to their streams and media exposure. Last year, Usher earned an estimated equivalent of $52 million in media exposure from his performance. And yet Usher was a perennial artist reclaiming the national spotlight—Lamar is already in it, and so is his special guest, SZA.

Sunday won’t be Lamar’s first time performing at the halftime show. His first was in 2022 alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Anderson .Paak. But for all the good exposure Lamar is bringing to the NFL in his second Super Bowl halftime performance, the rapper could also be opening the league up to legal complications.

All five Grammy Awards went to Lamar’s smash hit “Not Like Us,” a diss track aimed at fellow rapper Drake. In the lyrics, Lamar accuses Drake of pedophilia, sexual misconduct, exploiting rappers for credibility, and cultural appropriation. Lamar also takes shots at members of Drake’s label and team with allegations including sex trafficking. The song’s cover art shows a photo of Drake’s Toronto home with sex offender symbols marking it.

Drake has taken a number of legal steps against Universal Music Group (UMG), which is also his label, over the song. He has accused UMG of artificially boosting the song’s streams, said the track is “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender,” and claimed the label put “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.” His January suit references a shooting and attempted trespassers at his home shortly after the song and cover art’s release.

Given the legal implications, Lamar’s performance is a precarious situation for the NFL and Fox, because the usual watchdog of the FCC isn’t the only one who could be after them for certain lyrics. When the Grammys played a snippet of “Not Like Us” as Lamar walked to the stage to accept one of his awards, the show blasted the phrases “certified pedophile” and “it’s probably a minor,” the second of which could be heard sung loudly from the audience on the broadcast.

The question of whether the song will be played has been answered: Lamar is going to perform the diss track, TMZ reported Wednesday. The next decision is for Fox and the NFL, both of which could open themselves to legal action from Drake if they allow Lamar to include any lyrics implying his nemesis is a pedophile during what is historically the biggest broadcast of the year. 

For a league as buttoned up as the NFL—which forbids its own players from displaying political imagery or personal messages on game days—publicly taking a stance on an ongoing lawsuit isn’t really its thing.

At the same time, the network and league will receive heat from fans if it censors the most popular parts of the Song of the Year. And if the network or league does try to step in, Lamar could always buck their wishes. The NFL reportedly tried to censor parts of the 2022 halftime show, specifically a line from Dr. Dre saying he is “still not loving police,” Eminem wanting to kneel in support of Colin Kaepernick, and criticizing one of Snoop Dogg’s outfits as being “gang-related.” But the league’s efforts didn’t work—Dr. Dre still said the line, Eminem kneeled, and Snoop wore his outfit.

Lamar hinted during his pre-performance press conference Thursday that “storytelling” is what viewers can expect from his halftime show, the first headlined by a solo hip-hop artist. “I think I’ve always been very open about storytelling through all my catalog and my history of music,” Lamar said. “And I’ve always had a passion about bringing that on whatever stage I’m on.” 

Whether that storytelling is about Drake or not will be revealed Sunday.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

$12.5M Freshman Bryce Underwood Named Michigan’s Starting QB

The Wolverines paid big money to land the highly touted recruit.
Titans

Crypto Group Claims Responsibility for NFL, PGA Dildo Tosses

The group behind many WNBA incidents says it has struck again.

Bill Belichick Tells UNC Football Team Hulu Series Is Happening

FOS reported last month that the Hulu series was nearing finalization.

Featured Today

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.
Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin looks at quarterback Drew Allar (15) during the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.
August 22, 2025

Private Equity Enters College Sports—Without the Equity

As college football starts, lending agreements have become PE’s best way in.
August 24, 2025

US Open Stretches Schedule to 15 Days, but Players Aren’t Happy

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam left that starts on a Monday.
August 25, 2025

MLB Revives Field of Dreams Game After Big Early TV Ratings

The league is finalizing plans to return to the famed movie’s filming site.
Sponsored

Building A Pro League From Scratch

Front Office Sports and Gainbridge® spotlight what it takes to build a professional women’s soccer league.
August 21, 2025

Premier League Sets New Highs: $3.2B Spent, Record U.S. Viewership

The league’s transfer spending beats the rest of Europe’s Big Five combined.
Aug 5, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks to drive past New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) in the third quarter at Barclays Center.
August 21, 2025

Man Arrested for Throwing Dildo at Liberty Game

After police released his photo, the man turned himself in.
August 20, 2025

US Open’s Controversial New Mixed Doubles Format Makes Waves

The first-place prize money for the winning duo climbed from $200,000 to $1 million.
August 20, 2025

PGA Tour Turning to Theo Epstein, Tiger Woods to Reshape Pro Golf

A new Future Competition Committee was announced Wednesday.