Let’s be real—Super Bowl halftime shows are either legendary (Beyoncé, Prince, Rihanna) or huh? (Black Eyed Peas, we’re looking at you). But this year? Kendrick Lamar flipped the script, turning what started as a straight-up diss track into a full-blown stadium anthem.

Yes, Not Like Us—the song originally meant to roast Drake into oblivion—somehow morphed into a crowd-hyping, chest-thumping, Super Bowl showstopper. How did we get here? Let’s break it down.

The Origin: When a Diss Track Hits TOO Hard

Back in mid-2024, hip-hop was dealing with one of the pettiest yet most entertaining beefs of all time: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake. While most rap feuds simmer down with a few subliminal bars and a couple of shady Instagram posts, this one went nuclear.

Enter Not Like Us, Kendrick’s mic-drop response to Drake that was so lethal, it might as well have come with a legal disclaimer. Lamar didn’t just diss—he annihilated, accusing Champagne Papi of everything from cultural appropriation to questionable DMs. The track was so vicious it had hip-hop Twitter clutching their pearls.

And yet…people loved it. Like, REALLY loved it. Even folks who had no idea what was going on were yelling, “They not like us!” in the club like it was a national anthem. The beat? Infectious. The energy? Unmatched. Even the haters couldn’t resist nodding along.

Suddenly, what was meant to be a lyrical smackdown became the song of the summer.

A Grammy Sweep & The ‘They Not Like Us’ Movement

By the time the 2025 Grammys rolled around, Not Like Us had transformed from “Omg, Kendrick really said THAT?!” to “Omg, we need this played at every function immediately.” The song took home five Grammys, including Song of the Year, because apparently, the Recording Academy also loves a well-executed diss.

But it didn’t stop there. The track became bigger than the beef—it became an anthem against culture vultures, industry plants, and, well, anyone who was trying a little too hard to fit in (looking at you, that one coworker who suddenly loves hip-hop after one trip to Coachella).

Soon, “They not like us” was popping up on T-shirts, Instagram captions, and even political speeches (okay, that last part is a lie, but give it time).

Super Bowl LIX: Kendrick Takes Over the Halftime Show

Fast forward to Super Bowl LIX, where Kendrick Lamar—aka The People’s Poet, aka The Man Who Gave Us HUMBLE., aka Mr. Pulitzer Prize—was announced as the halftime performer. The world knew Not Like Us would be on the setlist, but the real question was: Would he still keep that same diss energy?

Oh, he did.

Kendrick came out swinging, performing Not Like Us in all its glory, backed by a drumline, pyrotechnics, and a sea of fans losing their entire minds. The irony? Even Drake fans were bopping along because, let’s be honest, this song just hits different.

It was the ultimate glow-up: A diss track that went from “shots fired” to stadium anthem. And honestly? That’s just legendary behavior.

Final Thoughts: The Most Unlikely Super Bowl Anthem Ever

Kendrick Lamar has done a lot of incredible things in his career, but making a diss track halftime show-worthy? That might be his biggest flex yet. Not Like Us proved that a song can start as pure shade and end up being the moment.

Moral of the story? Be careful who you diss. Your enemy’s anthem might just end up headlining the Super Bowl. 😆🔥

Would love to hear your thoughts—was Not Like Us the most iconic Super Bowl song moment ever, or do you still miss the days when Left Shark stole the show? Drop a comment below! 👇🔥