Kendrick Lamar earned four Emmy nominations for his show-stopping Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. The high-octane performance, which was broadcast live on Fox, garnered nods for Variety Special, Directing, Music Direction, and Choreography. More than just a halftime set, it was a clinic in precision, power, and presence. And the Emmy voters were paying attention.
The nominations are another heavyweight moment in Lamar's storied career, one that continues to break down barriers between stadium-scale entertainment and socially conscious artistry. More than a rapper, Kendrick is now a regular participant in arenas most emcees never even step foot in.
Lamar's Emmys moment happens months after he dropped one of the most combative diss records in recent memory. "Not Like Us" was more than just a jab but was a cultural detonation directed straight at Drake, and the fallout hasn't quite settled yet. Its combative beat, blistering lyrics, and viral velocity transformed the track into an anthem of now. Twitter (now X), radio, and group chats blazed with dissection and debate, turning the song into something larger than music.
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The song's impact is being felt in the world of lawyers, as Universal Music Group is now suing Drake. He says the label's efforts to promote "Not Like Us," a song with deeply personal and controversial lyrical accusations, provoked public hostility, even posing security threats among the wilder accusations: Flyers calling Drake a predator, a shooting outside his home in Toronto, and the use of an aerial photo of his house as cover art.
Universal, his legal team says, capitalized on the song's wildfire success to turn a profit, while gambling with his safety. Universal has filed to have the case dismissed, viewing it as a sore loss in an ongoing lyrical battle that played out in plain public sight. It's worth noting that the lawsuit is focused on the label, not Kendrick, though it is clear "Not Like Us" is the gravitational force at the center of this storm.)
Kendrick Lamar's Emmy-nominated performance stands in the shadow of both Beyoncé's Bowl and her Netflix special about the resulting Renaissance World Tour. Now, both are nominated for top awards in Variety Special, Directing, and Choreography, with the star-studded 67th Annual Grammy Awards also competing in several production categories.
Kendrick Lamar is leading the conversation, on and off the mic. The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast Sept. 14, 2025, and while music's biggest feud is still on a slow boil, it won't be just the on-screen drama viewers will be tuning in to see.
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