Sidney Madden
Appearances
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
Today Explained does not bring you the story of Not Like Us today. We did that back in May when it was the biggest story in music. But a lot has happened since then. Shortly after our episode aired, Kendrick Lamar closed out a Juneteenth concert by playing the Drake diss track six consecutive times. In September, we found out Kendrick would be headlining the Super Bowl halftime show.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
But you, I believe, have looked at the long history of the Super Bowl halftime show and argued that it hasn't always been such a big deal. What are the humble origins of this musical interlude to really the biggest night in sports in the United States?
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
I'm glad you brought Jay-Z into this conversation because I believe it was Jay-Z who once rapped on Ape Shit, a song he shared with his wife. I said no to the Super Bowl. You need me. I don't need you.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
Sydney Madden has been following the Drake-Kendrick story for months for NPR, and she's here to tell you about how this historic rap beef became a historic legal battle.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
It's interesting, though. And now, you know, the Super Bowl halftime show isn't historically a very political interlude to the football. Although, you know, Beyonce's performance with Coldplay years ago did feel like it had political underpinnings. Of course, Donald Trump is going to be at the Super Bowl.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
And to bring this back to Kendrick Lamar, he is perhaps one of the most political artists in popular music. Do you think beyond playing Not Like Us, there's a chance he tries to speak to what's going on in the country right now?
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
You got a pick, Steven. You got the birds. You got the Chiefs. What do you like?
Today, Explained
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I'm glad we agreed. Stephen Thompson, NPR Music, support your member station. Travis Larchuk made today's show. Amina Alsadi edited. Peter Balanon-Rosen and Victoria Chamberlain fact-checked. And Andrea Christen's daughter and Patrick Boyd mixed. The rest of the Today Explained team includes Avishai Artsy, Miles Bryan, Amanda Llewellyn, and Devin Schwartz, and Hadi Mawagdi.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
Who wishes he could have made today's show? Laura Bullard is our senior researcher. Jolie Myers is our deputy executive producer. Miranda Kennedy is our regular executive producer. Noel King is our supreme executive producer. We use music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Today Explained is distributed by WNYC. The show is a part of Vox.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
Support our journalism, if you can, by joining our membership program today. Go to vox.com slash members to sign up. Or leave us a nice comment wherever you listen, you know? Just remember, they're not like us. They're not like us.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
The song became the anthem for the Dodgers championship season. It got played at Harris rallies. Remember Kamala? Then in November, it got nominated for five Grammys. It would go on to win all of them on Sunday. That's a record for any song ever. But also in November, Drake took this beef to court. That's never really happened in a rap beef before.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
Now, we should say here that UMG is Kendrick Lamar's label, but it also happens to be Drake's label, right?
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
When Drake took this legal action on this song back in the fall of last year, I remember seeing conjecture that part of the reason he was doing this was to maybe put himself in a stronger bargaining position for his contract negotiation at UMG. Did you see that? Do you think that might have been part of what was going on here?
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
Just a few weeks ago, Drake sued Kendrick's label over Not Like Us. There's pending litigation over this song heading into Kendrick's performance this Super Bowl Sunday, and that's what we're going to explain on the show today.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
Why isn't Drake just suing Kendrick or going after Kendrick specifically? Is it because that would be a worse look for him in hip hop?
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
So for everyone who thinks Drake just keeps taking L's, there is something to be said for what they're not seeing, which is behind the scenes Drake protecting what Drake cares about most, which is his bottom line.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
Okay, so it remains to be seen how this is all going to get settled between Drake and his label, UMG. But we should also note that Drake is not yet done losing this battle because it's the Super Bowl this weekend and Kendrick Lamar is the halftime entertainment.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
Sydney Madden, NPR Music, how a rap beef landed on one of the biggest stages in the world when Today Explained returns.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
So you know our friend Sidney from earlier in the show. But perhaps unlike Sidney, you are currently sitting in front of a Green Bay Packers beach towel of some kind.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
So you care about music, but you also care about football. So we're coming to you to ask for a prediction. Because we're speaking to you on Thursday, February 6th. The show is airing on Friday, February 7th. And the Super Bowl, of course, is Sunday, February 9th. So at this point, no one yet knows whether Kendrick will play not like us at the Super Bowl. I'm going to ask you if you have a hunch.
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
You know, I've been listening to Kendrick for many, many, many years now. I've seen him live several times. I realize this is the culmination of, you know, a decade plus effort on his part. And yet my hunch is next to someone like Beyonce or Coldplay or Maroon 5 or Shakira or Katy Perry or The Weeknd, most American households...
Today, Explained
Super Bowl GNX
cumulatively cannot name more than like three Kendrick Lamar songs at most. And I'm going to maybe even say two. Wow. Is he like a bit of a rare duck in the pantheon of Super Bowl performers?