# Kendrick Lamar Say Drake > Kendrick Lamar Say Drake is a February 2025 reaction image meme capturing rapper Kendrick Lamar grinning at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show while delivering the line "Say Drake" from his diss track "Not Like Us. "Kendrick Lamar Say Drake" is a viral image from the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on February 9, 2025, capturing rapper Kendrick Lamar grinning directly into the camera while delivering the line "Say Drake" from his diss track "Not Like Us." The moment spread across social media within hours, turning into a widely used reaction image and exploitable meme template that added fuel to one of hip-hop's biggest rivalries. ## Origin On February 9, 2025, Kendrick Lamar headlined the Super Bowl LIX halftime show[1]. During his performance of "Not Like Us," the diss track that dominated 2024 and won both Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 67th Grammy Awards, Lamar turned to the camera and delivered the line "Say Drake, I heard you like 'em young" with a pointed smile[2]. The full halftime show was uploaded to YouTube the following day and racked up over 30 million views and 1.6 million likes within two days[2]. The performance also featured a cameo from Serena Williams, Drake's ex, who crip walked during the song[1]. That detail only added to the spectacle and gave the moment extra layers for meme creators to work with. - **Platform:** NFL Super Bowl broadcast (source moment), Twitter / X (viral spread) - **Creator:** Unknown (community-created from broadcast footage of Kendrick Lamar) - **Date:** 2025 ## Overview The meme centers on a still frame from Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime performance. In the image, Lamar looks straight at the camera with a wide, almost gleeful grin as he raps the opening words of a line from "Not Like Us" directed at Canadian rapper Drake[2]. The combination of the direct eye contact, the knowing smile, and the loaded context of the Drake beef made the image instantly shareable. People use it as a reaction image to express smugness, confidence, or "I know something you don't" energy, and as an exploitable template where the quote or context gets swapped for jokes. ## How It Spread The image of Lamar's grin started circulating on Twitter / X almost immediately after it aired on the night of February 9th. One of the first viral posts came from user @ayeejuju, who tweeted the still with the caption "Say Drake 😃" and pulled in over 13.4 million views, 599,000 likes, and 2,100 replies within three days[2]. By February 10th, the meme had hit Reddit. User Buddiboi95 posted a version to r/dankmemes that earned over 25,000 upvotes and 200 comments in two days[2]. The next day, a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure crossover appeared on r/ShitPostCrusaders, referencing the "JoJo Approach" meme[2]. On February 12th, Instagram user @long.drivers posted the still with a golf joke caption about out-driving everyone in the group, picking up around 295 likes in a day[2]. TikTok user @alexisroxanne shared her own version the same day, gaining roughly 2,400 plays[2]. The meme's spread was turbocharged by the broader cultural conversation around the Drake-Kendrick feud. Drake responded several days later during a concert in Melbourne, Australia, altering the lyrics of "Knife Talk" from "Beef is live, spoiler alert, this n---a dies" to "Beef is live, spoiler alert, I never died!" as the crowd cheered[1]. He also gifted fans at the show $45,000 and told them he appreciated their support through the fallout[1]. ## How to Use The "Say Drake" meme typically works in two ways: **As a reaction image:** Post the grinning Kendrick still to express smug satisfaction, quiet confidence, or the feeling of knowing you've won an argument. Works well in reply threads when someone gets called out or proven wrong. **As an exploitable template:** Replace the "Say Drake" quote with your own punchline. The format usually pairs Kendrick's grin with a setup where the person in the image knows something damaging or embarrassing about the target. Common approaches include swapping Drake's name for another target, or using the image to caption a relatable scenario where you hold all the cards. The golf version and anime crossover show the template's range. It works for sports trash talk, fandom jokes, workplace humor, and relationship memes alike. ## Cultural Impact The "Say Drake" moment landed at the intersection of sports, music, and internet culture during one of the most-watched broadcasts of the year. The Super Bowl halftime show gave Lamar a platform to perform "Not Like Us" for a mainstream audience, turning what had been a hip-hop beef into a pop culture event[1]. The feud itself had deep roots. Drake and Lamar first collaborated in 2011 on "Buried Alive Interlude" from Drake's album Take Care[3]. Their relationship soured gradually, with indirect shots exchanged over more than a decade before exploding in 2024. The trigger was Lamar's verse on Future and Metro Boomin's "Like That," where he rejected being grouped with Drake and J. Cole as hip-hop's "Big Three," declaring it was "just big me"[3]. That led to an escalating exchange of diss tracks including "Push Ups," "Euphoria," "Family Matters," "Meet the Grahams," and finally "Not Like Us"[3]. "Not Like Us" became the top song of 2024, winning Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the Grammys[1]. Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the song's release, alleging defamation and illegal promotional tactics, though the suit was later dismissed[3]. Media outlets including The New York Times and Rolling Stone broadly declared Lamar the winner of the feud[3]. Drake's response at his Melbourne show, where he reminded fans his $200 million net worth was intact and changed his "Knife Talk" lyrics, showed the beef was still alive even after the Super Bowl[1]. ## Fun Facts - The @ayeejuju tweet was one of the fastest-spreading Super Bowl memes of 2025, hitting 13.4 million views in just three days[2]. - Serena Williams, who previously dated Drake, appeared during the "Not Like Us" performance and crip walked on stage, adding another layer of shade[1]. - Drake and Kendrick Lamar were the same age when they first met and collaborated in 2011, a detail Lamar acknowledged feeling competitive about even back then[3]. - Drake gifted $45,000 to fans at his Melbourne concert during his implicit response to the Super Bowl performance[1]. - The Drake-Kendrick beef technically started with the "Control" verse in 2013, making it over a decade old by the time of the Super Bowl moment[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is "Kendrick Lamar Say Drake"? It's a viral image from the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show showing Kendrick Lamar grinning into the camera while rapping "Say Drake" from his diss track "Not Like Us." The still is used as a reaction image and exploitable meme template[2]. ### Where did the "Say Drake" meme come from? It originated from Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime performance on February 9, 2025, and went viral on Twitter / X within hours of airing[2]. ### What does "Say Drake" mean? The line "Say Drake, I heard you like 'em young" is from Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us," which accuses Drake of inappropriate behavior. The meme captures the smugness of delivering that line on the biggest stage in American broadcasting[1]. ### How do you use the "Say Drake" meme? Post the grinning Kendrick image as a reaction to express smugness or quiet victory, or replace the "Say Drake" text with your own callout to create an exploitable version[2]. ### Is "Say Drake" still popular? Yes. The meme spread rapidly in February 2025 across Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok, and the ongoing Drake-Kendrick feud keeps the image relevant whenever new developments surface[2]. ### What song was Kendrick performing when the meme happened? "Not Like Us," his 2024 diss track aimed at Drake. The song won Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 67th Grammy Awards[1]. ### How did Drake respond to the Super Bowl performance? Drake responded days later at a concert in Melbourne, Australia, changing his "Knife Talk" lyrics to "Beef is live, spoiler alert, I never died!" and gifting fans $45,000[1]. ### Who was the woman crip walking during the performance? Serena Williams, Drake's ex-girlfriend, appeared during the "Not Like Us" segment and crip walked on stage[1]. ### When did the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef start? The rivalry traces back to Kendrick's verse on Big Sean's "Control" in August 2013, where he called out Drake and other rappers by name[3]. ### What was the "Big Three" comment that escalated the beef? On the 2023 song "First Person Shooter," J. Cole grouped himself, Drake, and Kendrick as hip-hop's "Big Three." Kendrick rejected the label on Future's "Like That" in March 2024, saying "it's just big me"[3]. ## References 1. [Drake’s Reaction to Kendrick Lamar’s Performance Explained]() 2. [Kendrick Lamar "Say Drake" - Know Your Meme]() 3. [Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/kendrick-lamar-say-drake Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library