Will Kendrick Lamar Face Censorship While Performing “Not Like Us” During the Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Kendrick Lamar has one of the most popular rap songs in the world with “Not Like Us.” Last week, the death blow in his beef with Drake brought him five Grammy Awards. The song won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. As a result, there is no doubt that he’ll perform the song during his Super Bowl Halftime performance. However, fans at home might hear different lyrics than they’re used to.

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K-Dot had to present his halftime setlist to Fox and the NFL for an overview. They then run the lyrics by their lawyers and censors. Usually, the network has to ensure that the performance won’t land them in trouble with the Federal Communications Commission. This year, though, they’ll need a little more scrutiny. Drake has filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the song.

[RELATED: Kendrick Lamar’s Drake Diss Track Is Already Cleaning Up at the Grammy Awards]

Per an NBC report, the Canadian rapper’s suit alleges that UMG—the label to which he and Lamar are signed—defamed him by spreading a “false and malicious narrative” by pushing the song. As a result, Fox and the NFL will want to run the lyrics by their respective legal teams to ensure that they can’t be held legally liable if Drake decides to file another lawsuit.

While one could assume that the NFL and Fox won’t aim to stop Lamar from performing “Not Like Us” they may request a lyric change. On the other hand, they may choose to bleep the part of the track in which Kung Fu Kenny calls Drake a “certified pedophile.” However, there’s a good chance they won’t need to go that far.

Why Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-Winning Diss Track Might Not Be Censored

There’s a solid chance that Fox and the NFL will let Kendrick Lamar perform “Not Like Us” without censorship. After all, he took the stage at the Grammy Awards as the “certified pedophile” line played. Additionally, nearly everyone in attendance shouted that “a minor” line when it played. At the time of writing, Drake hasn’t filed suit against the Recording Academy or CBS.

According to a Billboard Canada report, Fox and the NFL may choose to ignore the defamation lawsuit because Drake doesn’t have a strong case. Samantha Barbas, a legal historian and an expert in defamation law at the University of Iowa’s College of Law weighed in on the matter. “I don’t think he has a strong case at all,” she told the publication.

Why Drake’s Lawsuit Is Weak

The report states that Drake and his legal team would have to show that Lamar’s lyrics present provably false claims about the Canadian rapper. In other words, the average person would have to hear the song and think that everything Lamar was saying about Drake was true. “In the context of a rap battle, that average listener is going to know that the allegations aren’t to be taken seriously,” Barbas said. “Taunts and wild exaggerations are par for the course,” she added.

Then, there’s the fact that Drake is a high-profile public figure. First Amendment rulings by the United States Supreme Court make it harder for public figures to use defamation lawsuits to silence free speech. As a result, Drake would need to show that UMG either knew the lyrics were false or that the label acted with reckless disregard for the truth. The latter is a legal standard that is intentionally difficult to meet.

Roy Gutterman, the director of the Newhouse School’s Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University weighed in. “A high-profile public figure like Drake immediately enters the case with a high burden of proof,” he told the publication.

Additionally, Drake made bold claims about Kendrick Lamar in his diss tracks. He claimed that Lamar abused his fiancée and that another man fathered one of his children. “Factoring in the context here—music and art within an ongoing dispute between rival musicians—he has an even tougher case,” Gutterman said.

So, there’s a good chance fans across the United States will hear the “certified pedophile” line in its original form during the Super Bowl Halftime show. The world will find out for sure in a little more than 48 hours.

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