Kendrick Lamar brought the house down at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, performing a slew of hits like “HUMBLE” and “DNA” to a roaring crowd at Caesars Superdome.
The rap superstar was introduced to the stage by veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson, and fans waited with baited breath to see what K-Dot had in store.
Kendrick donned an eye-catching blue jacket for the career-defining performance, with the word “Gloria” printed across the front. He wore a black shirt underneath, and paired the look with blue jeans, black gloves and a black backwards cap.
Yet it was his dazzling choice of jewelry that had fans talking; he sported a series of thick silver chains for the show, with a large diamond “a” in lowercase hanging from his necklace.
His fans took to social media to puzzle the meaning behind the bling, with many pointing to the rapper’s ongoing feud with Drake as the catalyst behind the bold choice.
Some initially believed that the “a” was a nod to Jeff Bezos’ company Amazon, or to Apple, which sponsored the Halftime Show.
© Getty ImagesHowever, one theory in particular has surged forward on X (formerly Twitter): that the “a” stands for “a minor”, a lyric in Kendrick’s Grammy Award-winning song “Not Like Us”.
The diss track came about in May 2024, after fellow rapper Drake took a swipe at Kendrick on his track “Family Matters”, stirring up rumors that the father of two was in a relationship dogged with infidelity.
In “Not Like Us”, Kendrick made an explosive allegation that Drake and his team were interested in underage children, leading with the following lyrics: “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young/ You better not ever go to cell block one.”
© Penske Media via Getty ImagesThe final hit came later in the song when he rapped: “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor,” a play on words that references his allegations against Drake as well as a common chord found in music.
Kendrick took home five Grammys for the hit song in February, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Their infamous feud has been bubbling away for years, and reached a fever pitch in 2024 with a slew of diss tracks released from both sides.
© Getty ImagesIn November, Drake filed a lawsuit against UMG, a division of Republic Records, for defamation due to the incendiary comments made in Kendrick’s song.
“UMG…could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed,” Drake’s lawyers said.
“But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.”
© GettyKendrick’s necklace may be a nod to his “a minor” lyric, yet fans have pointed out another potential reference to the “Hotline Bling” rapper.
They believe that the “a” could stand for Aubrey, which is Drake’s real name, or Adonis Graham, his son.
Despite their fiery feud, the internet is clear on who the real winner of the rap battle is: Kendrick. It comes as no surprise, following his slew of Grammy wins and now his incredible Super Bowl performance that will go down in the history books.
