The ongoing feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has taken over pop culture, and now it has even made its way to the Oscars stage.
Conan O’Brien’s Oscars Joke About Kendrick and Drake
While hosting the Academy Awards on March 2, Conan O’Brien took a jab at the high-profile rap battle, referencing Kendrick’s diss track “Not Like Us” and his recent Super Bowl halftime performance.
“Well, we’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile,” he joked, earning laughter from the star-studded audience at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
O’Brien then mocked Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over the song’s widespread radio play, quipping:
“Don’t worry, I’m lawyered up.”
Writer Behind the Joke Celebrates Its Success
Skyler Higley, the writer behind the viral joke, later shared his reaction on social media:
“Wrote the Kendrick Lamar joke and bet our executive producer $50 that it would kill. Just made $50.”
He added:
“Thank you to the Academy and S&P for folding and not cutting this joke.”
Neither Kendrick Lamar nor Drake have commented on the Oscars moment.
omg this Oscars joke from Conan O’Brien
“Well, we’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile” pic.twitter.com/d7gzCFHfsF
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) March 3, 2025
wrote the Kendrick Lamar joke and bet our executive producer $50 that it would kill. just made $50.
— Skyler Higley (@skyler_higley) March 3, 2025
Drake’s Lawsuit Against UMG and iHeartMedia
The rap beef has even escalated into legal battles, with Drake suing UMG over the heavy radio play of “Not Like Us.”
Drizzy’s legal team recently reached a resolution with iHeartMedia, who he accused of being paid by UMG to promote the diss track on their stations. However, his defamation lawsuit against UMG is still ongoing.
In a letter filed to Judge Antonio Vargas, Drake’s attorneys argued that delaying discovery would further damage his reputation, citing Kendrick’s record-breaking Super Bowl halftime performance, where he performed “Not Like Us” in front of 133.5 million viewers.
“At the same time UMG has been delaying here, UMG launched new campaigns to further spread the defamatory content, including at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show.”
Kendrick Lamar Subtly Fires Back
During his historic Super Bowl performance, Kendrick made a cheeky reference to Drake’s lawsuit while introducing “Not Like Us.”
“I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.”
With the rap feud now making waves in courtrooms, stadiums, and even Hollywood’s biggest stage, it’s clear that this battle is far from over.
