Kendrick Lamar is gearing up to take the stage for one of the most significant performances in the music industry following a monumental year.

Just coming off a highly recognized Grammy Awards where he received nominations in seven categories and won five, the renowned artist from Compton, California, will perform at Super Bowl 59 alongside special guest SZA this Sunday.

This all comes amid a notable rap feud. About ten months ago, Lamar stirred the pot by engaging in a high-profile rivalry with one of the most celebrated rappers globally, Drake. The tension was both exciting and concerning, but many fans declared Lamar the winner, especially after the feud sparked legal actions. Lamar’s recent success includes achieving a rare record of the year win at the Grammys for his provocative single “Not Like Us,” which emerged from the conflict.

Lamar hasn’t really moved past this situation. His current album, “GNX,” is filled with references that fans interpret as aimed at Drake, along with several collaborations featuring SZA, who had a romantic history with the Canadian rapper.

As the Pulitzer Prize-winning artist prepares to take the Super Bowl halftime stage, here’s a look back at how he arrived at this moment.

The origins of Kendrick Lamar’s feud with Drake

The feud seemingly ignited from a seemingly harmless line in Drake and J. Cole’s 2023 track “First Person Shooter,” where Cole mentioned that he, Drake, and Lamar were the “big three” in the rap scene.

This song followed years of subtle jabs exchanged between Drake and Lamar, prompting the West Coast rapper to reignite their emerging rivalry. On his guest verse in Future and Metro Boomin’s track “Like That” last March, Lamar distanced himself from the title of the “big three,” implying that Drake needed to demonstrate that he was truly a contender.

The conflict escalated when Drake released direct diss tracks targeting Lamar in “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” in April.

Lamar retaliated quickly with his first full diss track, “Euphoria,” just over a week later, labeling Drake a “scam artist.” He continued with another track, “6:16 in LA,” in early May. Just fourteen hours post-release, Drake dropped “Family Matters,” a diss track that made serious allegations against Lamar, claiming he had physically harmed his partner Whitney Alford.

The back-and-forth continued, with Lamar addressing rumors about Drake’s use of Ozempic amidst accusations concerning abuse and a secret child in “Meet the Grahams.” On May 4, he launched “Not Like Us,” where he made provocative allegations about Drake’s relationships:

“I hear you like (them) young. You better not ever go to cell block one,” Lamar rapped. “To any (girl) that talk to him and they in love, just make sure you hide your (little) sister from him.”

Lamar showcased all five diss tracks at his highly publicized “Pop Out” concert, broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video with an audience of 16,000 attendees on Juneteenth.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s collaboration adds complexity

How does SZA fit into this narrative? It appears she may have taken sides.

Fans were informed that SZA and Drake had a brief romantic involvement over ten years ago, which Drake alluded to in his 2020 song “Mr. Right Now.” SZA confirmed this relationship, stating the timeline, which is notable (and possibly ironic, considering prior accusations against Drake) as she was 18 at the time and Drake was around 23. They later collaborated on the 2023 track “Slime You Out.”

In contrast, Lamar and SZA have a history of working together from her 2014 song “Babylon” to their recent collaborations “Luther” and “Gloria” on the “GNX” album.

Next month, the duo will kick off their Grand National Tour.

Will Kendrick Lamar perform “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl?

Lamar did not perform during the Grammys, and he hasn’t sung “Not Like Us” live since his Juneteenth concert (nor has he done any of his diss tracks against Drake). It remains uncertain if this acclaimed song will make its way into his Super Bowl setlist.