Kendrick Lamar halftime show surprise: Internet predictions from Drake to Taylor Swift

We won't know what happens until it happens, but the social media will always have guesses
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Rapper Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during day three of Rolling Loud Miami 2022
Credit: Jason Koerner/Getty Images

Kendrick Lamar is about to take the stage for the Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans, and naturally, the internet is deep in its favorite pastime: unhinged speculation.

Will there be another seismic shift in the Kendrick-Drake saga, fresh off the Grammys where "Not Like Us" — a diss track turned song of the summer — won Best Record? Maybe. Will there be a few thinly veiled jabs at President Donald Trump, the first sitting president to grace the Big Game with his presence? Couldn't tell ya. And then there’s the Taylor Swift of it all— she’ll be in the stands, cheering on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, but could she also make a surprise cameo? Who’s to say?

We certainly don’t know, but we’ve rounded up the wildest, most diluted, and downright deranged theories about what Kendrick has in store.

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Is Taylor Swift joining Kendrick at halftime?

One of the more far-fetched predictions is a Taylor Swift cameo. The mega-pop star will be in the building, and she and Kendrick have history with their 2014 hit "Bad Blood." The chances of her actually appearing on stage are slim, with Vegas setting the odds at +750. Still, if it happens, the internet will implode.

Drake and Trump disses?

If you somehow missed it, in 2024, Drake and Kendrick Lamar had what can only be described as a nuclear rap beef. What started as light jabs from the Toronto rapper spiraled into serious allegations of abuse and trafficking. But it also gave us the undisputed song of the summer.

Kendrick, by his own admission, just does not like Drake. And the rollout — from "Euphoria" to "Meet the Grahams" to "Not Like Us" — made one thing painfully clear: he really, really hates this man. Social media is convinced that tension will spill over into the Halftime Show, with many predicting a few well-placed shots at Drake under the bright lights of the Super Bowl stage.

Also looming over the performance is the presence of a sitting President Trump, the first time in history a sitting president has attended. Back in 2017, Kendrick admitted he was "baffled" by Trump's election. But don't expect any overt political statements — Kendrick has always been one to show, not tell.

Kendrick Lamar should be allowed to perform a Mortal Kombat style fatality upon Drake at the Super Bowl halftime show presented by Apple. I think that should be a part of the tariff/border discussions

— Life Grips (@ptrkbrn.com) February 5, 2025 at 7:49 AM
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Chance Townsend
Assistant Editor, General Assignments

Currently residing in Chicago, Illinois, Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.

In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and finds great enjoyment in Detroit sports.


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