Conan O’Brien Slips Kendrick and Drake’s Feud Into Oscars Joke

Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s bitter feud, already a cultural spectacle, found its way to the Oscars.

While hosting Sunday night (March 2), Conan O’Brien slyly alluded to Lamar’s Not Like Us accusations and his Super Bowl spotlight, weaving rap’s most explosive face-off into Hollywood’s biggest night. “Well, we’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile,” he cracked, setting off waves of laughter among the celebrity-packed audience inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. Conan took aim at the 6 God’s defamation suit against Universal Music Group, remarking: “Don’t worry, I’m lawyered up.”

Skyler Higley, who penned the joke, later weighed in on the moment across social media. “Wrote the Kendrick Lamar joke and bet our executive producer $50 that it would kill. just made $50,” he stated. “Thank you to the academy and S&P for folding and not cutting this joke.” Nonetheless, Kendrick and Drake remain silent on the viral jest.

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Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Jab Fuels Drake’s Defamation Fight

The simmering feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, now unfolding in court, saw a new development as the Toronto rapper settled allegations that iHeartMedia accepted UMG payments to amplify “Not Like Us” across its radio network.

In a letter to Judge Antonio Vargas, Drake’s legal team opposed pausing discovery in the defamation suit, citing Lamar’s record-breaking Super Bowl performance—where the diss track boomed—as evidence of the ongoing damage tied to delay. “[D]elaying discovery would unfairly prejudice [Drake], who is continuing to suffer the consequences of UMG’s defamatory campaign,” his attorneys wrote. “Indeed, at the same time UMG has been delaying here, UMG launched new campaigns to further spread the defamatory content [‘Not Like Us’], including at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, which had over 133.5 million viewers.”

Kendrick Lamar, untouched by the lawsuit, slipped in a subtle nod to Drake’s legal troubles during his landmark Super Bowl set. Hinting at a performance of “Not Like Us,” K.Dot sparred playfully with his dancers. He voiced, “I want to give them their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.”