Kendrick Lamar, the iconic rapper known for hits like “HUMBLE.” and “DNA.,” is officially set to headline the 2025 Super Bowl LIX halftime show in New Orleans. In his announcement video, Kendrick asked fans, “Will you be pulling up?”—a question that has since taken the internet by storm. With Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl LIX Will You Be Pulling Up becoming a trending phrase, this performance promises to be one of the biggest cultural events of the year, following his recent triumph with the track Not Like Us, which ended his long-standing beef with Drake.

In his announcement video, Kendrick confidently asks, “Will you be pulling up?” and makes a powerful statement about there being only one shot to win the championship. This declaration, a nod to both football and rap, sums up the mentality Kendrick embraced during his public battle with Drake—a feud that had consumed the hip-hop world for years. However, it was Not Like Us that solidified Lamar’s victory in the beef and further cemented Lamar’s status as a cultural icon.

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Kendrick Lamar: The Voice of a Generation

Kendrick Lamar is more than a rapper—he’s a visionary who has transformed the rap landscape. Hailing from Compton, California, Lamar burst onto the scene with his 2012 album good kid, m.A.A.d city, which mixed autobiographical storytelling with broader social commentary. His follow-up albums, To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN., earned him multiple Grammys, and even a Pulitzer Prize, while addressing everything from systemic racism to personal struggle.

Kendrick’s music isn’t just entertainment—it’s a mirror reflecting the world’s harsh realities. His artistry has had a profound impact on both hip-hop culture and society at large, making his upcoming Super Bowl performance an event everyone is eager to witness. But it was his 2024 beef with Drake, and the resolution found in Not Like Us, that showed just how influential he truly is.

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The Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Beef: A Battle of Giants

Kendrick Lamar and Drake have had a simmering rivalry dating back to 2013, but it was in the spring of 2024 that things truly reached a boiling point. The feud reignited when Lamar appeared on Future and Metro Boomin’s Like That on March 22, 2024, where he took a shot at the concept of a “big three” in rap. “It’s just big me,” he rapped, rejecting the notion that he shared the top spot with J. Cole and Drake, a reference to J. Cole’s lyrics on Drake’s 2023 track First Person Shooter.

Drake didn’t take the jab lightly. He released a full diss track, Push Ups, on April 19, where he went after Lamar’s physical appearance, record deal, and even his collaborations with pop stars like Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift. He followed up with Taylor Made Freestyle on the same day, featuring AI impersonations of hip-hop legends like Snoop Dogg and Tupac. However, this track backfired, getting pulled from streaming platforms due to legal issues with Tupac’s estate.

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How “Not Like Us” Ended the Beef and Became a Cultural Phenomenon

Kendrick Lamar delivered the knockout blow in his feud with Drake with Not Like Us, released in May 2024. Rather than throwing direct punches, Lamar took a different approach—redefining the entire landscape of their rivalry. In the track, Kendrick emphasized that the differences between him and Drake were fundamental, not just musical. “We not built the same, you can’t touch the flame,” he rapped, separating himself from the commercialized rap world that Drake dominated. Not Like Us wasn’t just a diss—it was a declaration of Lamar’s authenticity and commitment to his craft and community. The line, “Not like us, ‘cause we kings in the mud,” resonated deeply with fans, marking Kendrick as the true champion of the culture. This reassertion of his vision ultimately ended the beef, as Lamar had cemented his position in a way that Drake, despite his commercial success, could not match.

Not Like Us quickly became a cultural phenomenon, symbolizing the tension between artistic integrity and mainstream success in hip-hop. Kendrick positioned himself as a representative of the purist, lyrical side of rap, standing in stark contrast to Drake’s chart dominance. The track sparked conversations about authenticity, legacy, and responsibility, with fans embracing it as a victory for “real” hip-hop, where substance and storytelling matter more than streaming numbers. For many, Kendrick’s win in the feud reflected a broader cultural shift, bringing rap back to its roots. Not Like Us remains one of the most celebrated tracks of 2024, with its legacy likely to endure for years to come.

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What to Expect from Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance

With Not Like Us as the anthem that ended the beef and elevated his cultural status, Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl LIX performance is poised to be iconic. Known for his theatrical, high-concept live shows, fans can expect Lamar to deliver not just a musical spectacle, but a statement. He has a reputation for using his platform to convey powerful messages, and the Super Bowl stage offers him a chance to showcase his artistry on a global scale.

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Will You Pull Up?

As Kendrick Lamar asked in his Super Bowl announcement, “Will you be pulling up?” The Super Bowl LIX halftime show is shaping up to be a defining moment in his career, and a must-see for fans of hip-hop and sports alike. Just like in the rap game, there are no second chances—don’t miss your shot to witness history in the making.

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I’m just a girl with a camera. I’m not a blogger, but I do love writing, especially when it comes to music and the arts—that’s where I find my peace. To all the Drake fans, please don’t come for me, but I think he’s overrated. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a huge Kendrick Lamar fan either, but I must admit that this solidifies his title as the winner of this cultural rap beef. ✌🏾