DeMar DeRozan has opened up about where he stands when it comes to the ongoing beef between his friend Drake and his hometown’s hero Kendrick Lamar.
Stopping by The Breakfast Club on Thursday (September 12), the Sacramento Kings forward was asked about his allegiances after not only being mentioned by Kendrick in his scathing Drake diss, Not Like Us, but also appearing in the music video for the hit single.
DeRozan and Drizzy had developed a friendship during the NBA star’s time with the Toronto Raptors.
“You know what’s funny? I love them both, that’s family,” he told The Breakfast Club hosts. “But at the end of the day, I’m from Compton. My city, where I’m from, where I’m born, like, my family still lives. That comes first. And I feel like any real person would understand that; and that’s just what it is. And it’s so crazy because my second home became Toronto, that has one of the greatest of all time being from there too, so.”
The conversation inevitably turned to the recent announcement that Kendrick Lamar is set to headline Apple Music Halftime Show at Super Bowl LIX, which will be played in New Orleans on February 9, 2025.
“No, I’m not mad,” DeMar DeRozan said about the news. “We for sure would like to see Wayne up there. My thing too is everybody was in such an uprorar, we don’t know if Wayne was still gon’ do it. We didn’t know 50 [Cent] was gon’ do L.A. It was such an honor and a surprise to see him still do it.”
K. Dot recently received support from what may have been a surprising source to some fans, shortly after his surprise release of what listeners have dubbed “Watch The Party Die” on Wednesday (September 11).
The new song found a major fan in Nas, who quoted it when congratulating Kendrick on his upcoming performance.
On Friday (September 13), Nasty Nas re-shared Lamar’s Super Bowl announcement on his own Instagram Story, adding: “Congratulations to my brotha @kendricklamar. Can’t wait to watch the party die!!!!”
On Sunday (September 8), the NFL announced that K. Dot has been confirmed to headline the Apple Music Halftime Show at next year’s championship game, which is set to take place on February 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Kendrick Lamar Deserves To Headline The 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar said as part of the formal announcement. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”
According to the Associated Press, Roc Nation — which has produced the Super Bowl Halftime Show since 2020 — will share executive producer duties with Emmy Award-winning producer Jesse Collins.
As part of the NFL’s official announcement, JAY-Z called Kendrick Lamar a “once-in-a-generation artist,” adding: “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”
