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Lawyers Reportedly Have Big Decision To Make For Super Bowl Halftime Show

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Feb 6, 2025 4:29 PM ET

Millions of NFL fans will watch Super Bowl 59 to see if the Kansas City Chiefs play all their greatest hits en route to a three-peat. Others will have their eyes and ears glued to the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Fresh off five Grammy Award wins, Kendrick Lamar will perform at New Orleans' Caesars Superdome this Sunday night. His planned set list has become a hot topic of speculation ahead of the game. Will he rap the highly popular "Not Like Us" in front of a massive audience?

According to TMZ, Lamar will "no doubt" sing the song that directly accuses Drake of pedophilia. However, FOX lawyers and executives must determine if they can air certain lines without facing legal retaliation. Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over "Not Like Us," arguing that the diss track spread a "false factual allegation" and encouraged the public to seek "vigilante justice."

There are multiple fail safes in place to block any content the league and network deem inappropriate during the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

"There are not one, but two censors on game day," TMZ noted. "The NFL has an official who can bleep out content, and then FOX has a backup. Remember, it's all broadcast on a five-second delay ... just in case."

"Not Like Us" took home Grammys for Song of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Best Music Video, and Record of the Year, but Lamar didn't perform the hit at Sunday night's show. However, the crowd danced along as a line calling Drake a "certified pedophile" played inside the building before Lamar's acceptance speech.

In a recent interview shared by Apple, Lamar said he never envisioned performing on a Super Bowl stage when recalling his humble beginnings.

"What I know is, the passion I have now is still the passion I had then," Lamar said. "And I think that carried on to the Super Bowl. It's all about being present. As long as I was present in the studio, present in whatever that line was or whatever that mistake was ... I was present in that moment, and I felt that passion. Being present and not foreseeing everything kept me in a grounded state of mind."

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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