The Kansas City Chiefs took on the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl 2025. Last year's game was watched by 123.4 million people in the US – the biggest broadcast audience since the Moon landing in 1969! The event is more than just a sporting extravaganza. It’s also popular for its spectacular half-time show, which was headlined this year by Kendrick Lamar.
You may have spotted stories about the rapper on your social feeds in recent times, and the Super Bowl isn’t the only reason…
Why has Kendrick been all over your socials recently?
Kendrick Lamar picked up five Grammys at this year's awards ceremony, including one for best song, a diss track called Not Like Us. Fans claim the track is supposedly aimed at Canadian rapper Drake. Despite the awards win, it was Lamar's clothing that went viral on the night, with the phrase 'Canadian tuxedo' seeing a spike on Google searches and posts on X. One X post about the outfit choice was viewed more than 11 million times! But what is a Canadian tuxedo and why the sudden interest?
A Canadian tuxedo refers to a double-denim outfit – usually jeans and a jacket. It has been trending following Kendrick's choice of Grammys outfit, with some fans claiming he wore it to the awards to further diss Canadian rival rapper Drake.
"Not Like Us"
Not Like Us has become the most streamed diss track on Spotify ever with over 1 billion streams. Not only has the song shot to the top of the streaming charts, the dance for Not Like Us has also gone viral on TikTok. One video featuring the dance moves has more than 13 million views!
The decisions around the types of posts that we see when scrolling through social media are in the hands of algorithms rather than people. Algorithms are computer programs that filter the posts in your feed. If you engage or interact with a certain type of post or video, you will see more content that is similar. You can read more about algorithms here.
AI in music
AI in music is a hot topic, with stars including Billie Eilish and Beatles legend Paul McCartney recently wading in on the debate. AI tracks have also been used to further the rivalry between Drake and Lamar. In April 2024, a track was 'leaked' to YouTube claiming to be a new Kendrick Lamar diss track which took aim at Drake, but it was later revealed to have been created by a TikToker using AI.
If you hear a track and aren't sure whether or not it was created using AI, think about:
- Has the track been posted on the official account of the artist?
- Does the song contain any audio glitches?
- Do the lyrics sound like something the band or artist would usually sing?
If you have any doubts about the authenticity of a track, then do your research!
Deepfake technology
Lamar has also been embracing advancements in AI technology and used deepfake technology in his 2022 music video, The Heart Part 5. In the video Lamar swaps his face with those of six notable people from black American culture, including Will Smith and Kobe Bryant.
A deepfake video is a clip that has been created or modified using artificial intelligence. It’s pretty common for deepfake videos to feature celebrities and public figures saying something controversial or out of character. But there are some giveaways you can look out for to help you spot a deepfake clip.
We're sure you're going to see a lot more of Kendrick Lamar on your socials following the Super Bowl. Just make sure you don't fall for any fake news!
This article was published in February 2025.
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