Conan O’Brien couldn’t help but reference the beef that dominated headlines for the past year during his hosting gig at the Academy Awards, mentioning the back-and-forth between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
“We’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile,” he said, taking a beat and cracking a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m lawyered up.”
O’Brien was, of course, referring to Lamar’s performance during the Super Bowl Halftime Show in February, when he performed his smash hit “Not Like Us” which came near the conclusion of the flurry of diss tracks between the rappers. On the song, Lamar rapped, “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophile,” referencing Drake’s album of the same name.
Drake has been litigious in the fallout from the beef, filing suit against Universal Music Group. He accused them of defamation and harassment, spreading the “false and malicious narrative” that he is a pedophile via “Not Like Us.”
The ongoing legal war waged by Drake stems from his historic rap battle with Kendrick Lamar, which kicked into full gear after the latter dropped a fire-starting verse in early 2024 on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” What ensued was a back-and-forth between Drake and Lamar that culminated in a flurry of diss tracks including “Not Like Us,” which inevitably became the biggest hit from the battle. Just prior to performing the track at the Super Bowl, he took home top honors at the Grammy Awards, winning song of the year and record of the year.
From Variety US