Super Bowl GNX

Summary

Today, Explained: Super Bowl GNX – A Deep Dive into the Kendrick Lamar and Drake Feud

In the February 7, 2025 episode of Today, Explained, Vox delves into the escalating rap beef between two of hip-hop’s titans: Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Hosted by Sydney Madden, alongside contributors Peter Kafka, Charles, Stephen Thompson, and Patty Diaz, the episode meticulously unpacks the origins, developments, and broader implications of this high-profile conflict, set against the backdrop of Kendrick’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance.

The Genesis of the Beef

The saga began in May when Sydney Madden recounts that "Today explained is not bringing you the story of Not Like Us today. We did that back in May when it was the biggest story in music..." [00:00]. The tension intensified when Kendrick Lamar performed Drake’s diss track six times in a row at a Juneteenth concert, signaling a direct challenge between the two artists. By September, it was announced that Kendrick would headline the Super Bowl halftime show, turning the diss track into a cultural phenomenon.

Legal Warfare: Drake vs. Universal Music Group (UMG)

In November, the rivalry took a legal turn. Charles explains, "Drake filed a legal action alleging that his label, his parent company Universal Music Group, colluded with the streaming giant Spotify in order to boost 'Not Like Us' to become this streaming darling" [02:26]. This lawsuit marked a unprecedented move in rap beefs, traditionally confined to lyrical exchanges. Drake's litigation aimed to challenge UMG’s promotion strategies, asserting that the label's actions were detrimental to his career and reputation.

Drake alleges that UMG used its industry clout to elevate Kendrick’s track, positioning it as one of the most streamed songs of 2024. He contends, "UMG went after Drake by way of promoting this song so heavily in order for him to be in a weaker position, for his character to be defamed and his brand to be so tarnished" [05:14]. This claim is supported by instances where Kendrick's song was omnipresent—from high school graduations to political rallies—raising questions about the song's pervasive influence.

The Impact on Drake

The lawsuit highlights significant personal and professional repercussions for Drake. Charles details the severity of the situation: "The lawsuit names vloggers, YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and even established news outlets as sources that... ran with the narrative and the accusation of him being a pedophile and really defamed him and his life and livelihood" [06:59]. Drake faces not only defamation but also tangible threats, including break-ins at his residence and the need to remove his child from school for safety reasons.

Kendrick Lamar’s Ascendancy

While Drake grapples with legal battles, Kendrick Lamar continues to dominate the music industry. His song "Not Like Us" achieved five Grammy nominations and secured wins in all categories, a historic feat [00:54]. Charles emphasizes, "It's Lamar's first ever number one on the year-end global songs chart and really became this undeniable hit and propelled it to be such a cultural force" [03:02]. This success has positioned Kendrick as a central figure in hip-hop, culminating in his selection as the Super Bowl halftime performer.

The Super Bowl Halftime Show: Evolution and Significance

A substantial portion of the episode explores the Super Bowl halftime show's transformation from modest beginnings to a cultural spectacle. Stephen Thompson provides historical context: "There was a very pivotal moment in Super Bowl halftime history when the Super Bowl halftime show was performed by Michael Jackson" [20:39]. This performance set the stage for future halftime shows to feature monumental artists.

Charles and Stephen Thompson discuss the role of Jay Z in modernizing the halftime show. "Jay Z's history with the NFL really is a history of him figuring out how to kind of barge into the boardroom and make some of these decisions," Stephen explains [23:44]. Under Jay Z’s influence, the halftime show has embraced more contemporary and diverse musical acts, aligning with current cultural trends.

Kendrick Lamar’s Upcoming Performance

With Kendrick Lamar set to perform “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl, speculation abounds regarding the nature of his performance. Stephen Thompson predicts, "If people are expecting this to be some big moment for Kendrick to dunk on Drake, I think it's very unlikely" [16:08]. Instead, he anticipates a medley of Kendrick’s greatest hits, integrating "Not Like Us" in a manner that celebrates his achievements rather than reigniting the feud.

Sydney Madden adds her perspective, noting the cultural reach of Kendrick's music: "One effort that has really been made in recent years is to make the Super Bowl halftime show a big collective cultural experience where everyone's kind of talking about it" [17:57]. This inclusive approach ensures that even casual listeners can engage with Kendrick’s performance, reinforcing the song’s widespread recognition.

Cultural and Industry Implications

The feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake extends beyond personal animosity, highlighting significant dynamics within the music industry. Charles articulates the broader implications: "Kendrick and Drake are part of the Mount Rushmore of hip hop, and that comes with setting new precedents in hip hop and taking hip hop to new levels. And that includes, monetarily speaking" [10:33]. The legal battle underscores the intricate relationships between artists and their labels, emphasizing the power struggles that can shape careers and influence industry standards.

Predictions and Closing Thoughts

As the Super Bowl approaches, the episode concludes with forward-looking predictions. Stephen Thompson forecasts a Kansas City victory in the game, intertwining sports enthusiasm with the cultural narrative. Regarding the halftime show, he remains optimistic that Kendrick will focus on celebrating his success rather than delving into past conflicts: "I'm somewhat skeptical that this performance is going to be anything beyond a victory lap for Kendrick Lamar and SZA" [24:43].

Sydney Madden reflects on Kendrick’s legacy and the potential impact of his Super Bowl performance: "I've seen him live several times. I realize this is the culmination of a decade-plus effort on his part" [17:21]. This performance is poised to not only showcase Kendrick’s musical prowess but also solidify his place in hip-hop history.

Conclusion

The Today, Explained episode offers a comprehensive exploration of the complex relationship between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, set against the high-stakes environment of the Super Bowl. By examining the legal disputes, industry dynamics, and cultural milestones, the podcast provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of one of hip-hop’s most significant feuds and its implications for the future of music and entertainment.

Notable Quotes:

• Sydney Madden [00:00]: “Shortly after our episode aired, Kendrick Lamar closed out a Juneteenth concert by playing the Drake diss track six consecutive times.”

• Charles [02:26]: “Drake filed a legal action alleging that his label, his parent company Universal Music Group, colluded with the streaming giant Spotify in order to boost 'Not Like Us' to become this streaming darling.”

• Stephen Thompson [16:08]: “If people are expecting this to be some big moment for Kendrick to dunk on Drake, I think it's very unlikely.”

• Charles [10:33]: “Kendrick and Drake are part of the Mount Rushmore of hip hop, and that comes with setting new precedents in hip hop and taking hip hop to new levels.”

• Sydney Madden [17:21]: “I realize this is the culmination of a decade-plus effort on his part.”

Transcript

[Sydney Madden]

Today explained is not bringing you the story of Not Like Us today. We did that back in May when it was the biggest story in music, but a lot has happened since then. Shortly after our episode aired, Kendrick Lamar closed out a Juneteenth concert by playing the Drake diss track six consecutive times. In September, we found out Kendrick would be headlining the super bowl halftime show. The song became the anthem for the Dodgers championship season. It got played at Harris rallies, remember Kamala? Then in November, it got nominated for five Grammys. It would go on to win all of them on Sunday. That's a record for any song ever. But also in November, Drake took this beef to court. That's never really happened in a rap beef before. Just a few weeks ago, Drake sued Kendrick's label over Not Like Us. There's pending litigation over this song heading into Kendrick's performance this Super Bowl Sunday, and that's what we're going to explain on the show today.

[Peter Kafka]

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[Stephen Thompson]

Explained.

[Sydney Madden]

Sydney Madden has been following the Drake Kendrick story for months for npr, and she's here to tell you about how this historic rap beef became a historic legal battle.

[Charles]

So back in November, in the midst of Honestly Kendrick dropping his six studio album and taking a big victory lap off the beef, Drake filed a legal action alleging that his label, his parent company Universal Music Group, colluded with the streaming giant Spotify in order to boost Not Like Us to become this streaming darling. And one of the most streamed songs of 2024.

[Sydney Madden]

And debuting in the number one spot.

[Peter Kafka]

Is Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us. Certified lover boy, certified pedophile.

[Patty Diaz]

All right, 2024 has been a great year for Kendrick as he lands on top of the Billboard charts.

[Charles]

It's Lamar's first ever number one on the year end global songs chart and really became this undeniable hit and propelled it to be such a cultural force. And I think the merits of that were questioned because we heard that song at high school graduations, at bar mitzvahs.

[Peter Kafka]

They don't even like Drake at the.

[Charles]

Bar mitzvahs at weddings, as walkout songs, at sporting events.

[Stephen Thompson]

Number nine.

[Charles]

Spotify didn't do any of that. You know, people have autonomy and that song bumps like, let's be honest, they not like us.

[Peter Kafka]

They not love.

[Charles]

So that legal action was later withdrawn and this new lawsuit that really replaced it, it goes at Universal Music groups specifically. And it's not about the song itself. It's not about the merits of the song or how popular the song was, but it's about how UMG used all of its power in the music industry to mobilize the song. And further the accusation that Kendrick makes in the track, which is that Drake is allegedly a pedophile trying to strike a chord.

[Patty Diaz]

And it's probably a minor.

[Charles]

Drake denies the claim that he's a pedophile or a child groomer of any kind, but it details the amount of real world harm that's been caused by the accusations in the song.

[Sydney Madden]

Now we should say here that UMG is Kendrick Lamar's label, but it also happens to be Drake's label.

[Charles]

Right, Exactly. I mean, that's just the way the music industry works now. Everything becomes a conglomerate. So yeah, this is both artists parent label.

[Sydney Madden]

When Drake took this legal action on this song back in the fall of last year, I remember seeing conjecture that part of the reason he was doing this was to maybe put himself in a stronger bargaining position for his contract negotiation at umg. Did you see that? Do you think that might have been part of what was going on here?

[Charles]

Um, I am not a member of Drake's legal team, so I can't say indefinitely what the strategy was. Yeah, but in the January lawsuit, the argument that's being set up is that UMG went after Drake by way of promoting this song so heavily in order for him to be in a weaker position, for his character to be defamed and his brand to be so tarnished that he would resign to UMG at a rate and at a understanding and agreement that was more favorable to umg. And I mean, what we know about Drake, Drake is one of the top artist in the world. He's the most streamed artist outside of Taylor Swift.

[Peter Kafka]

Drake has continued to dominate the Billboard charts in the 2000s with four number.

[Patty Diaz]

One albums, highly anticipated would be an understatement. Drake's new album, Certified Lover Boy, became Spotify's most streamed album in a single day.

[Peter Kafka]

Drake commemorated toppling multiple chart records that were long held by the Beatles with an Abbey Road inspired tattoo on the Fab Four.

[Charles]

He makes UMG a lot of money, and with money comes power. So he has a lot of bargaining power. But if your reputation is so tarnished by this claim that you're allegedly a pedophile, obviously that's going to lower your stock. So if you were going to resign to that company, they'd have more leverage. The lawsuit names vloggers, YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and even established news outlets as sources that, according to his lawyers, ran with the narrative and the accusation of him being a pedophile and really defamed him and his life and livelihood. I should say NPR is mentioned in the lawsuit. I myself am even mentioned in the lawsuit as one of the journalists.

[Sydney Madden]

So Drake reads your work, we can assume, or what?

[Charles]

Or his lawyers do, I don't know. But the lawsuit also shares photos of flyers that were posted around his neighborhood in Toronto alleging that he was a sexual predator. And the lawsuit also details that the ridicule and that the threats were getting so bad around him that he had to pull his child out of school.

[Sydney Madden]

Someone shot at his house, right?

[Charles]

Yes. That there have been break ins that have happened at his house since May that he thinks are connected to the song and promotion of the song. And yes, a member of his team, one of his bodyguards, was even shot and injured during one of those break ins. So these are all the pieces of evidence they're putting forward in furtherance of the argument that this song has done real harm to him and it's UMG's fault.

[Sydney Madden]

Why isn't Drake just suing Kendrick or going after Kendrick specifically? Is it because that would be a worse look for him in hip hop?

[Charles]

Mm. I don't know about looks. Cause in the court of public opinion and in the culture, the look is not that great already. But it is a good question that's been floating around a lot. And one thing that Charles said in a past episode of Today explained that I want to underline is there's no rules in rat beef, period.

[Stephen Thompson]

The thing that people have to understand about rap beef is rap beef is not about truth that much. Rap beef is about who is the funniest or who will go low and will punch you the hardest.

[Charles]

Drake also went at Kendrick a lot during this Rap beef. And he accused Kendrick of abusing his wife.

[Peter Kafka]

They hired a crisis management team to clean up the fact that you beat on your qu.

[Charles]

And he alleged that one of Kendrick's children was fathered by another man.

[Peter Kafka]

I heard that one of them little kids might be day free.

[Charles]

So if he were to go after Kendrick directly, he could potentially open himself up to a countersuit there. There was a lot of mudslinging back and forth. But what is it that Jay Z says? He says, I'm not a businessman, businessman. I'm a businessman.

[Peter Kafka]

Let me handle my business.

[Charles]

Like both Kendrick and Drake are businesses. They are corporations in their own right. Hip hop is also, in many senses, a business. And in Drake's lawsuit against umg, they make it very clear that this is not about a war of words between two artists. And it makes no claims against Kendrick for that. It's about UMG as the publisher and the exclusive rights holder of their music, making this malicious decision to promote one of the songs so heavily over others that have come out in the context of the beef.

[Sydney Madden]

So for everyone who thinks Drake just keeps taking Ls, there is something to be said for what they're not seeing, which is, behind the scenes, Drake protecting what Drake cares about most, which is.

[Charles]

His bottom line, period. He knows that, culturally speaking, unequivocally, he lost this rap beef, right? But he's gonna get his lick back one way or another. And when it comes to his pockets, that's a great way to look at it. Kendrick and Drake are part of the Mount Rushmore of hip hop, and that comes with setting new precedents in hip hop and taking hip hop to new levels. And that includes, monetarily speaking.

[Sydney Madden]

Okay, so it remains to be seen how this is all gonna get settled between Drake and his label, umg. But we should also note that Drake is not yet done losing this battle because it's the super bowl this weekend and Kendrick Lamar is the halftime entertainment.

[Charles]

To the victor goes the spoils. Right? Kendrick announced that he was gonna be the halftime performer last year. I would say in the after of going back and forth with Drake, bar for bar. And this is part of his victory lap. He also just grabbed five Grammy Awards at the 67th annual Grammys for this song, not like us, including for song and for record of the year. That's brand new territory for a diss track, period. So right now, there's a lot of speculation about whether Kendrick will perform this song at probably one of the biggest stages of the world.

[Sydney Madden]

Sydney Madden, NPR Music. How a rap beef landed on one of the biggest stages in the world when TODAY Explained Return Support for TODAY Explained comes from Adeo. Addio, as you know now, is an AI native CRM built specifically for the next era of companies. Is that your company? Maybe. They say it's extremely powerful, just like your company may be. It can adapt to your unique data structures and scales with any business model. Setting up Adeo takes less than a minute, they say, and in seconds of syncing your emails and calendar, you'll see all your relationships in a fully fledged platform, all enriched with actionable data. You can go to addio.com todayexplained and you'll get 15% off your first year. If you're wondering, hey, how do you spell Addio, Sean? Well, A t, t I o.com todayexplained wishing you all the best in your journey.

[Patty Diaz]

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[Charles]

Day and any time of year, birthdays.

[Patty Diaz]

Holidays, just because is especially if it's someone your loved one is not near you and you, you know, want an option where you can send them reliable and beautiful flowers. I think that's great. You can lock in your order today and win someone over at 1800-flowers.com to claim your double your roses offer. You can go to 1-800-flowers.com explained. That's 1-800-Flowers.com explained.

[Peter Kafka]

Hey, this is Peter Kafka. I'm the host of Channels, a podcast about technology and media. And maybe you've noticed that a lot of people are investing a lot of money trying to encourage you to bet on sports right now, right from your phone. That is a huge change and it's happened so fast that most of us haven't spent much time thinking about what it means and if it's a good thing. But Michael Lewis, that's the guy who wrote Moneyball and the Big Short and Liars Poker, has been thinking a lot about it, and he tells me that he's pretty worried. I mean, there was never a delivery mechanism for cigarettes. As efficient as the phone is for delivering the gambling apps. It's like the world has created less and less friction for the behavior when what it needs is more and more. You can hear my chat with Michael Lewis right now on channels, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sydney Madden]

Psst.

[Peter Kafka]

I see today explained.

[Stephen Thompson]

I'm Stephen Thompson. I'm a host with NPR Music and I'm also on Pop Culture Happy Hour.

[Sydney Madden]

So you know our friend Sidney from earlier in the show, but perhaps unlike Sidney, you are currently sitting in front of a Green Bay packers beach towel of some kind.

[Stephen Thompson]

I am speaking to you from my home studio, which is decked out with packers paraphernalia. Win or lose, I'm ride or die. Go, pack, go.

[Sydney Madden]

So you care about music, but you also care about football. So we're coming to you to ask for a prediction because we're speaking to you on Thursday, February 6th. The show is airing on Friday, February 7th. The Super bowl, of course, is Sunday, February 9th. So at this point, no one yet knows whether Kendrick will play Not Like Us at the Super Bowl. I'm going to ask you if you have a hunch.

[Stephen Thompson]

My hunch is that if people are expecting this to be some big moment for Kendrick to dunk on Drake, I think it's very unlikely. That doesn't at the same time mean that he's gonna forego Not Like Us entirely. I think there are ways. If you think about the way super bowl halftime shows have evolved over the years, they've really evolved into these kind of medleys of an artist's biggest hits. So I think he's gonna have an opportunity to kind of weave in they Not Like Us. They Not Like Us without necessarily incorporating the stuff that is dunking on Drake. So my prediction is that you'll hear bits and pieces of Not Like Us without necessarily bringing in the parts of this song that have been controversial, that have resulted in lawsuits, et cetera. And if, honestly, if I'm Kendrick Lamar, I don't want to make this moment about Drake anyway. I'm making this moment about making this my giant victory lap as I head into a massive world tour and continue to promote this chart topping album. I'm not worried about some rap beef that's. That is so last year, literally and figuratively.

[Sydney Madden]

You know, I've been listening to Kendrick for many, many, many years now. I've seen him live several times. I realize this is the culmination of. Of, you know, a decade plus effort on his part. And yet my hunch is next to someone like Beyonce or Coldplay or Maroon 5 or Shakira or Katy Perry or the Weeknd, most American households cumulatively cannot name more than like three Kendrick Lamar songs at most. And I'm gonna maybe even say two.

[Stephen Thompson]

Wow.

[Sydney Madden]

Is he like a bit of a rare duck in the pantheon a Super bowl performance?

[Stephen Thompson]

I mean, it's interesting for purposes of comparison, let's talk about Usher, who performed at the super bowl last year. I think there are many American households where if you put a tape recorder in front of their faces and said, name three Usher songs, they might not be able to do so. But then once you see that medley, you're like, oh, I know that song. I know that song. Well, that song's been on the wind for a decade.

[Sydney Madden]

True.

[Stephen Thompson]

So sometimes the idea, like, can you name three songs if somebody is not a music nerd, if somebody has not seen Kendrick Lamar in concert, if somebody has not, you know, does not anxiously anticipate the drop of every Kendrick Lamar record, that doesn't necessarily mean that there's not widespread familiarity with this music. And I do think that is one thing that Not Like Us did, is it certainly for people who weren't necessarily familiar with every song on To Pimp a Butterfly or Damn, virtually any household is gonna at least know Not Like Us. One effort that has really been made in recent years is to make the super bowl halftime show a big collective cultural experience where everyone's kind of talking about it. And for people who might not know a whole bunch of Kendrick Lamar songs, they're still gonna be able to participate in that conversation. And that's something that the super bowl really wants. They want this event to be gigantically, culturally, all encompassing and not just about a football game.

[Sydney Madden]

But you, I believe, have looked at the long history of the super bowl halftime show and argued that it hasn't always been such a big deal. What are the humble origins of this musical interlude to really the biggest night in sports in the United States?

[Stephen Thompson]

It is truly remarkable how recently the super bowl halftime show was a punchline.

[Peter Kafka]

Of super bowl halftime extravaganza.

[Patty Diaz]

Could this be magic?

[Peter Kafka]

Should I starring at Prince of Presto Digitation. Elvis Presto. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the new Mouseketeers.

[Patty Diaz]

Allison.

[Sydney Madden]

Lisa.

[Peter Kafka]

The super bowl was born in the USA in the 60s. It was on the wave of the future. Then it's still moving in that groove today. Just like the music of the 80s.

[Sydney Madden]

Born in the USA.

[Peter Kafka]

That'S the power of love.

[Stephen Thompson]

There was a very pivotal moment in super bowl halftime history when the super bowl halftime show was performed by Michael Jackson.

[Sydney Madden]

I remember that. And he, like, popped out of the stands.

[Stephen Thompson]

And this was the Super bowl in 1993 and the year before. The super bowl halftime show before four was called Winter Magic. Salute to the 1992 Winter Olympics.

[Sydney Madden]

Aw, Hi, everybody. Come on and feel the cold. Come to Minnesota where winter's the hottest.

[Charles]

Time of the year. It's winter magic.

[Stephen Thompson]

And honestly, even in the years since, and there definitely was a point pretty shortly thereafter where the super bowl halftime show just became the showcase for some huge star. But even there, there's a stretch of halftime shows kind of in the aftermath of the controversy in 2004 with Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson when he bared her partially exposed breast on national television and everyone got the vapors, which, by the way, was Justin Timberlake's fault. Where the super bowl halftime shows became very, very buttoned down and very, very safe.

[Sydney Madden]

Boomer forward.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, very Boomer forward. Even. You know, when you think about what is widely and rightly considered the greatest super bowl halftime show of all time was by Prince in 2007.

[Peter Kafka]

Preach Purple Rain. Purple Rain. That's all right.

[Stephen Thompson]

That is sandwiched in between the Rolling Stones and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. And it wasn't until relatively recently, particularly when Roc Nation and Jay Z took over the production of the super bowl halftime show, that they really tried to go for very, very current artists, very hip hop. They've tried to kind of make the show younger and more culturally current and more well versed in things like hip hop. But that's a very recent phenomenon.

[Sydney Madden]

I'm glad you brought Jay Z into this conversation, because I believe it was Jay Z who once rapped on Ape Shit, a song he shared with his wife. I said no to the Super Bowl. You need me, I don't need you.

[Peter Kafka]

Every night We in the end zone. Tell the NFL we in Stadium 2 last night.

[Sydney Madden]

How is it that Jay Z became such a key figure in programming a show that he's too good for?

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, and I mean, you gotta think about what's more powerful than performing at the Super Bowl, Deciding who performs at the Super Bowl. And so there is certainly a larger conversation here around the troubled history of the NFL and black entertainers, stemming back in part to the controversy around Colin Kaepernick and his national anthem protests and how Colin Kaepernick was effectively driven out of the league, and that created a lot of backlash against the NFL by black musicians.

[Peter Kafka]

My sense is the people that don't like what he's saying don't like it when black people talk about anything. When it comes to justice, they don't want us to talk about justice. They don't want us to talk about equality. They don't want us to speak up.

[Charles]

Colin Kaepernick. As long as you kneel with us, we gonna be standing for you, baby.

[Peter Kafka]

Ew.

[Stephen Thompson]

And bringing in Jay Z to help program the show kind of allowed the NFL an in with a lot of the performers that it wanted to perform at the halftime show. And so Jay Z's history with the NFL really is a history of him figuring out how to kind of barge into the boardroom and make some of these decisions.

[Sydney Madden]

It's interesting, though. And now, you know, the super bowl halftime show isn't historically a very political no interlude to the football. Although, you know, Beyonce's performance with Coldplay years ago did feel like it had political underpinnings.

[Peter Kafka]

Okay, ladies, now let's get into a motion.

[Sydney Madden]

Of course Donald Trump is gonna be at the Super Bowl. And to bring this back to Kendrick Lamar, he is perhaps one of the most political artists in popular music. Do you think beyond playing Not Like Us, there's a chance he tries to speak to what's going on in the country right now?

[Stephen Thompson]

I'm pretty skeptical. I mean, I think on one hand, in order to be a part of the cultural conversation, and in order to be extraordinarily relevant in the cultural conversation, you can't be 100% apolitical. At the same time, it's hard to think of an artistic endeavor that is more carefully choreographed and boardroom approved than a Super bowl halftime show. When you think about the number of commercial sponsors, when you think about the network association, the super bowl will be airing on Fox this year. There are a number of very, very powerful, very high level stakeholders who are doing everything they can to make sure that this is a piece of entertainment that doesn't offend people. Is it possible that something happens that becomes viral, that becomes a culture war issue? It doesn't take much to become a culture war issue if people have a vested interest in making it one. But I'm somewhat skeptical that this performance is going to be anything beyond a victory lap for Kendrick Lamar and SZA and a way of segueing into what promises to be a hugely lucrative tour.

[Sydney Madden]

You got a pick, Steven. You got the Birds. You got the Chiefs. What do you like?

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, boy. You know, I'm gonna predict another close and exciting Kansas City win. I think Kansas City's gonna pull off the three peat. I think it's gonna make a lot of people very sad. And I am gonna say 31 to 27 Kansas City.

[Peter Kafka]

Wow, you have a score.

[Sydney Madden]

I'm just gonna say go, Birds.

[Stephen Thompson]

I'm gonna. You know what? I'm a Packers fan, but I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say go, Birds, too.

[Sydney Madden]

All right, great. I'm agreed. Stephen Thompson, NPR Music. Support your members station. Travis Larchuk made today's show. Aminah Al Saadi edited Peter Balanon Rosen and Victoria Chamberlain fact checked. And Andrea Christensdotter and Patrick Boyd mixed. The rest of the TODAY Explained team includes Avishai Artsy, Miles Bryant, Amanda Llewellyn and Devin Schwartz. And Hadi Mwagdi, who wishes he could have made today's show. Laura Bullard is our senior researcher. Jolie Myers is our deputy executive producer. Miranda Kennedy is our regular executive producer. Noel King is our supreme executive producer. We use music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Today Explained is distributed by wnyc. The show is a part of Vox. Support our journalism if you can by joining our membership program today. Go to Vox.com members to sign up or leave us a nice comment wherever you listen. You know, just remember, they're not like us. They not like us.