Via Getty Image / NFL on YouTube
Conan O’Brien began his Oscars hosting gig by crawling out of a replica of Demi Moore’s torso in The Substance, and he kept the jokes coming steadily throughout the broadcast. And because he apparently could not resist, the evening had to include a “Say Drake”-style joke to reference Kendrick Lamar’s diss track performance of “Not Like Us” at Super Bowl LIX.
Kendrick’s performance was ultimately larger than Drake, but of course, O’Brien went for the primetime punchline: “Well, we’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile.” He then added, “Don’t worry, I’m lawyered up” You can watch the bane of Drake’s existence continue at this video link.
In the aforementioned song, Lamar’s lyrics made reference to Drake’s Certified Lover Boy album title with a live audience response that was even louder in stadium (including the “a minor” lyric) than they appeared on TV. For his part, Drake has issued multiple responses to Kendrick’s lyrics (which appear to accuse Drake of sexual misconduct) both within his own lyrics and in lawsuit form against his label, Universal Music Group.
In response to Drake’s lawsuit, UMC has characterized Drake’s claims as “illogical,” and the label insisted, “We have invested massively in his music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.”
As for O’Brien’s continuance of the “Not Like Us” jab, Drake hasn’t issued a public response… yet.
