5 Shocking Ways Drake Responded To The Super Bowl Halftime Diss
The Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9, 2025, became an unexpected battleground, shifting the focus from the NFL championship to one of the most intense rap feuds in history. When Kendrick Lamar took the stage, he didn't just perform; he delivered a calculated, public, and globally-televised diss aimed directly at Drake, who was 7,000 miles away. The Canadian superstar's reaction was not a single social media post, but a multi-layered, strategic response that unfolded over days, revealing his reported fury and his determination to have the final word.
As of today, Friday, December 19, 2025, the fallout from the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show continues to dominate hip-hop conversations, with Drake's subsequent actions being analyzed as a masterclass in controlled retaliation. His response—or lack thereof in certain channels—was a stark contrast to his usual public persona, confirming the severity of the challenge laid down by Lamar. This article breaks down the five most significant and shocking ways Aubrey Drake Graham addressed the massive on-stage insult witnessed by over 133 million viewers.
Aubrey Drake Graham: Biographical Profile
Aubrey Drake Graham, known simply as Drake, is one of the most commercially successful and influential artists of the 21st century. His career spans music, acting, and business, solidifying his status as a global cultural icon.
- Full Name: Aubrey Drake Graham
- Born: October 24, 1986
- Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Primary Occupations: Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, Actor, and Businessman
- Notable Early Work: Actor on the Canadian teenage drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2009)
- Career Highlights: Holds the record for the most charted songs of any artist in history on the Billboard Hot 100, a multiple Grammy Award winner, and credited with popularizing R&B sensibilities in hip-hop.
- Record Label: Co-founder of OVO Sound.
1. The Pre-emptive Legal Strike That Failed
The first sign of Drake’s concern came not from him directly, but from his legal team in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. Anticipating that Kendrick Lamar might use the massive platform to perform his viral diss track, "Not Like Us," Drake's lawyers reportedly released a statement.
This statement, which some outlets described as "slamming the lyrics" or a legal warning, was a clear attempt to use legal pressure to prevent the public broadcast of Lamar's most damaging accusations. The move was unprecedented for a major music feud and highlighted the seriousness of the situation. Despite the legal maneuvering, Lamar’s performance went ahead, with a clear on-screen reference to the lawsuit: “I wanna play their favorite song but you know they love to sue,” he said, directly referencing Drake's legal action over "Not Like Us."
This public defiance by Kendrick Lamar turned the Super Bowl Halftime Show into the ultimate "round two" of their beef, with Lamar effectively using the legal threat as part of his on-stage performance.
2. The "Angry" Silence from Australia
While the diss was unfolding live in New Orleans, Drake was on the other side of the world, performing his "Anita Max Win Tour" in Melbourne, Australia. This geographical distance was symbolic, but his reported internal reaction was immediate and intense.
Sources close to the rapper indicated that Drake was "angry" at the audacious nature of Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance. The sheer scale of the diss—seen by the largest television audience of the year—reportedly infuriated the Toronto native. His initial public response was a calculated silence on social media, which many fans and commentators noted as speaking "volumes."
Instead of addressing the moment directly, Drake posted a series of images on his Instagram, continuing his tour documentation as if the Super Bowl event had not occurred. This strategy was interpreted as an attempt to diminish the significance of the diss by refusing to acknowledge it directly, a classic move in managing a public relations crisis.
3. The Subtle Concert Lyric and New Track Tease
Drake’s official musical response was subtle at first, delivered through the very medium he was already engaged in: his live concert. During one of his Melbourne tour stops shortly after the Super Bowl, Drake seemingly addressed the situation with a pointed lyric change or a tease of a new track, possibly titled "Gimme a Hug."
This move allowed him to drop a direct response to the Super Bowl diss without the formality of a full, released track, keeping the momentum and speculation high. The lyrics were quickly analyzed by fans and media, suggesting a dismissive or defiant stance against the claims made by Lamar. This method of using a live concert to debut a response is a powerful tactic, ensuring that the reaction is immediately amplified across social media platforms, turning a tour stop into a breaking news event.
4. The Irony of the "Drake Curse" and Super Bowl Betting
Adding a layer of complex irony to the situation was Drake's recent history with the Super Bowl itself—specifically, his history with high-stakes betting. The "Drake Curse," a popular meme suggesting that any team or athlete he publicly supports is destined to lose, was famously broken during the previous year's Super Bowl LVIII.
In 2024, Drake publicly placed a massive $1.15 million bet on the Kansas City Chiefs to defeat the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs won, and Drake celebrated his victory, effectively breaking the curse and earning a significant payout. This success stands in sharp contrast to the 2025 Super Bowl, where his involvement was not a bet on the game's outcome, but the target of a cultural assassination during the most-watched segment of the broadcast. The shift from a triumphant gambler to a dissed rival adds a compelling narrative to his overall Super Bowl experience.
5. The Strategic Use of the Anita Max Win Persona
The "Anita Max Win" persona, a phrase and aesthetic Drake has embraced, is central to understanding his post-Super Bowl strategy. This persona is built on a foundation of confidence, winning, and an almost playful arrogance, often tied to his gambling and success.
By continuing his world tour under this banner and using his stage time to deliver subtle musical jabs, Drake reinforced the image that he remains unbothered and in control, despite the massive public spectacle orchestrated by his rival. The entire "Anita Max Win Tour" became a living, breathing counter-narrative to the Super Bowl diss. It allowed him to control the environment and the message, framing any response as an afterthought to his ongoing global success, rather than a panicked reaction to a devastating attack. This strategic refusal to fully engage on Lamar's terms is perhaps the most calculated response of all, a move designed to maintain his brand's image of untouchable dominance.
Detail Author:
- Name : Therese Parisian
- Username : kuhic.estefania
- Email : carlee24@yahoo.com
- Birthdate : 1980-08-20
- Address : 1518 Batz Island North Alfredaside, VA 80826-5569
- Phone : +1-651-610-8344
- Company : Steuber and Sons
- Job : Motorboat Operator
- Bio : Quis aliquam quas omnis asperiores qui labore et. Atque aut laudantium dolor corrupti fugit voluptatem unde. Totam aut sequi sequi magnam sint.
Socials
instagram:
- url : https://instagram.com/dahlia_vonrueden
- username : dahlia_vonrueden
- bio : Voluptas nam ut voluptas. Architecto et natus beatae ipsam.
- followers : 140
- following : 1692
twitter:
- url : https://twitter.com/dahlia.vonrueden
- username : dahlia.vonrueden
- bio : Harum consectetur dolor ut et quis aut reprehenderit. Voluptatem impedit rerum pariatur ipsam ut. Animi ducimus repudiandae totam sint vitae natus.
- followers : 1314
- following : 1125
linkedin:
- url : https://linkedin.com/in/dahlia_dev
- username : dahlia_dev
- bio : Vel quam voluptate non ratione mollitia et quod.
- followers : 2057
- following : 1369
tiktok:
- url : https://tiktok.com/@dahlia.vonrueden
- username : dahlia.vonrueden
- bio : Aliquam eum impedit velit quidem sunt qui officiis.
- followers : 2162
- following : 2907
