What Was Drake's Response to Kendrick Lamar and Serena Williams Calling Him Out At the Super Bowl?

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Drake was at the center of the American conversation last Sunday when Kendrick Lamar dissed him on the Super Bowl 2025 halftime show in New Orleans.

The 'To Pimp a Butterfly' rapper sought to humiliate his long-time riva by bringing Serena Williams and SZA, two of Drake's exes, on stage with him.

Drake's response

During the show, Serena performed the Crip Walk dance to the beat of 'Not Like Us,' the Grammy-winning diss track addressed at Drake, and SZA sang 'All The Stars' alongside the rapper. While this was happening, Drake was in Australia, pausing his concert to unleash a bitter speech about past relationships.

"This is for all y'all exes, and everybody that can play you in their f***ing life. If you're doing better than your ex, I want to see you turn the f**k up," he shouted before performing 'You Broke My Heart,' a song full of heartbreak and resentment.

He also hinted that the beef was not over, changing a lyric in his song, 'Knife Talk,' to "Beef is live, spoiler alert, I never died."

Drake's "national humiliation" at the Super Bowl

The rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has been simmering for over a decade. Diss tracks, subtle jabs, and direct attacks have escalated through the years, but 2024 saw their feud reach its boiling point.

That's when Kendrick dropped 'Not Like Us,' a track that not only won multiple Grammys but also ridiculed Drake and accused him of things serious enough for the Canadian rapper to consider legal action.

Since then, tensions have only escalated and, with the Super Bowl 2025 as the backdrop, Lamar used the world's biggest platform to land another brutal blow.

Not only did Kendrick perform his most aggressive songs aimed at Drake, but he also surrounded himself with people who had every reason to side with him against the Toronto rapper. Serena Williams, who dated Drake between 2011 and 2015, showed no nostalgia for their past as she danced energetically on stage. And if there were any doubts about where she stood, she cleared them up after the show, joking, "Man I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Oh, I would've been fined."

Then there was SZA, who had a brief romance with Drake in 2009 (or 2008, according to him, causing some confusion over her age at the time). She joined the performance with a flawless rendition of 'All The Stars,' her collaboration with Kendrick for the 'Black Panther' soundtrack.

While her participation may not have been a direct shot at Drake, many couldn't help but notice she chose to perform with Kendrick over the Toronto rapper—despite having worked with both.

What's next for this beef?

One thing is certain: this Super Bowl show won't be forgotten anytime soon. Now, the question is whether Drake will respond more directly or choose to ignore it. What's clear is that in this battle, Kendrick Lamar just scored another touchdown—and this time, the whole world was watching.