Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Serena Williams made a brief surprise appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance of “Not Like Us,” a song aimed at Drake. Williams had also been rumored to have dated Drake, and she and Lamar both grew up in Compton. Those links fueled speculation that the cameo was a message to Drake, but the available reporting does not establish that as its purpose. Williams said the moment was “all love” and said Lamar asked her to do the dance.
What happened during the halftime show
At the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show on February 9, 2025, Lamar performed at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Williams appeared briefly as a solo side dancer during “Not Like Us,” near the end of the performance. TIME reported that her cameo lasted less than five seconds. She was not a musical guest, did not perform a separate song and was not introduced as part of a longer collaboration.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
![To Pimp A Butterfly [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51oy1vrsLWL._SL160_.jpg)
|
To Pimp A Butterfly [Explicit] | $10.91 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
DAMN. | $10.91 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
GNX | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![good kid, m.A.A.d city [Deluxe 2 CD] [New Version]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51EJoURK7eL._SL160_.jpg)
|
good kid, m.A.A.d city [Deluxe 2 CD] [New Version] | $21.48 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
To Pimp a Butterfly - Good.Kid.M.A.A.D.City - Kendrick Lamar - 2 CD Bundling | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
That distinction matters: Williams’s appearance was a short visual moment within Lamar’s set, not a duet or a separate performance. The song itself—not a conversation between Williams and Lamar onstage—provided the immediate Drake connection. The placement meant viewers saw her dancing during a track widely understood as a direct part of Lamar and Drake’s feud, but the cameo’s timing alone cannot establish why she was there.
The Associated Press reported that Lamar’s set lasted 13 minutes and included 10 songs. SZA joined him for two of them. The reported set list was:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems#1 Best Overall
- “Squabble Up”
- “HUMBLE.”
- “DNA.”
- “euphoria”
- “man at the garden”
- “peekaboo”
- “luther,” with SZA
- “All the Stars,” with SZA
- “Not Like Us”
- “TV Off”
Williams appeared during the ninth song, “Not Like Us,” in the closing moments of the show. The sequence helps put the cameo in perspective: she was part of the visual staging of a song in a larger set, rather than a guest who arrived to address the audience or deliver a musical feature. The AP’s reported set list also places the moment after SZA’s two appearances and before “TV Off.”
The performance had been announced as a major cultural event. The NFL named Lamar the Super Bowl LIX halftime headliner for the New Orleans game. In the announcement, Lamar said, “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why.” NFL head of music Seth Dudowsky called Lamar an artist who had impacted music and culture profoundly. The announcement establishes the planned focus on Lamar; it does not explain the specific staging choices, including Williams’s cameo.
The moment attracted attention because it brought together a high-profile diss track, a guest with a reported personal connection to its target, and a dance that recalled one of Williams’s earlier public celebrations. Each part of that combination is relevant, but they are not interchangeable evidence: a song’s target is one fact, a reported past relationship is another, and an interpretation of the cameo’s motive is a separate claim.
Why the Drake connection came up
“Not Like Us” was aimed at Drake
The most direct connection is the song. “Not Like Us” was released amid Lamar and Drake’s highly publicized feud and is a diss track aimed at Drake. The song contains allegations about Drake. Those lyrics are accusations in a rap battle, not established facts.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallDrake sued Universal Music Group over the song’s allegations, describing them as false. The Associated Press reported that Lamar’s televised performance omitted the word “pedophile” while retaining other lines. That broadcast edit does not change the distinction readers should keep in mind: the lyrics make allegations, and the existence of a song or performance does not prove them.
Rank #2
So when viewers ask why Williams was dancing to a song associated with Drake, the answer begins with the set’s musical choice: Lamar performed “Not Like Us” as part of his halftime set, and Williams appeared during that song. The fact that the song is aimed at Drake explains why her presence prompted discussion. It does not supply proof that Williams was endorsing every lyric, making a statement about Drake, or taking part in a planned personal exchange.
Williams had reportedly been linked to Drake
The other connection is personal, but it needs careful qualification. The Los Angeles Times and TIME described Williams and Drake as having been rumored to date or romantically linked in the early 2010s. The reporting does not establish an unqualified account of their relationship, so it is more accurate to say they were reportedly linked than to state as fact that they were a couple.
That phrasing is not a minor technicality. The cameo is often described through the shorthand of a “Drake connection,” but the sources describe the personal link as rumor or reported romantic association. They do not establish a confirmed relationship or provide a basis for treating the two as former partners. A careful account keeps the qualification attached whenever that history is mentioned.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Because Williams appeared during a Drake-directed song, that reported history made her cameo especially striking to viewers. It is a reason the appearance became a talking point; by itself, it does not show that she appeared to provoke Drake. The musical connection is more definite than the personal one: the song is aimed at Drake, while Williams’s past relationship to him is reported as rumored.
Williams and Lamar share a hometown
Williams and Lamar also grew up in Compton, California. That shared background adds context to why the moment resonated, but it does not establish a motive for the cameo. The clearest account of why Williams joined the performance comes from Williams herself: the Los Angeles Times reported that she said Lamar asked her to do the dance.
Rank #3
Compton is a meaningful connection between the two performers, but it should not be used to fill in details that have not been reported. Their hometown does not establish that the cameo was planned as a hometown tribute, nor does it prove that Williams was recruited because of her Drake history. It is one part of the context, not an explanation on its own.
What Williams said about the appearance
After the show, Williams described the moment as “all love,” according to ABC News. She also joked about how her earlier dance at Wimbledon had been received: “Man, I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Ooh, I would’ve been fined.” ABC News reported that she shared preparation and rehearsal material, including a video of herself rehearsing with her daughter, Olympia.
Those posts and comments show that the appearance involved preparation, even though the onstage cameo was extremely short. The rehearsal video with Olympia offers a glimpse of Williams getting ready, while the joke about Wimbledon ties the new dance to an earlier moment in her public life. Neither detail, however, adds evidence of a plan to send Drake a message.
Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, celebrated the appearance and referred to the backlash she had faced over the earlier dance. The Los Angeles Times quoted him saying, “This is bigger than the music.” That response situates the cameo in the history of the criticism Williams encountered, rather than confirming that she intended it as a jab at Drake.
The Wimbledon dance behind the reference
The Super Bowl dance recalled Williams’s celebration after she won the women’s singles gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Olympic tennis was held at Wimbledon, and Williams’s celebratory dance there drew criticism at the time. Her joke after the Super Bowl directly connected the new appearance to that earlier reaction: she imagined she would have been fined for dancing that way at Wimbledon.
Rank #4
The important comparison is between two public moments, not two identical performances. At Wimbledon in 2012, Williams was celebrating an Olympic gold-medal victory; in New Orleans in 2025, she appeared as a side dancer during Lamar’s halftime performance. The later cameo prompted renewed attention to the earlier celebration because Williams herself invoked it. The available accounts do not establish that the Super Bowl dance was meant to reproduce every detail of the 2012 moment.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Her joke also points to the criticism that followed the Olympic celebration. Ohanian’s reaction referenced that backlash, while Williams’s own comments kept the tone light. Those reactions help explain why the callback had meaning beyond a few seconds of choreography: it connected the Super Bowl appearance to an earlier occasion when her celebration became a public controversy.
The callback helps explain why a few seconds on the Super Bowl stage drew attention beyond the show itself. For Williams, it brought back a moment when her celebration became controversial. For viewers, the reference also connected the cameo to a familiar piece of her public history. Neither the old controversy nor the new appearance, however, confirms a Drake-directed intention.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Williams appear to taunt Drake?
Online speculation framed the cameo as a possible way to needle Drake, given the song’s target and Williams’s reported past link to him. But speculation about how a moment might be read is different from evidence about why it happened. The Los Angeles Times reported that Williams said Lamar asked her to do the dance, and Williams called the appearance “all love.” The available reporting does not establish that she—or Lamar—planned it as a message to Drake.
It is possible for viewers to read a performance through its surrounding context without that interpretation becoming a confirmed account of intent. Here, the overlap is conspicuous: a Drake diss track, Williams’s rumored past link to Drake, their shared Compton roots, and a dance with its own history. Those details explain why the moment sparked speculation. They do not prove that the cameo was designed as a taunt, and Williams’s stated explanation is that Lamar asked her to do the dance.
The most grounded reading keeps the facts separate: Williams danced briefly during “Not Like Us”; the song targets Drake; Williams had reportedly been romantically linked to Drake; and she and Lamar share Compton roots. Those details explain the reaction without turning an unconfirmed interpretation into fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Serena Williams in Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show?
Williams appeared as a solo side dancer during “Not Like Us.” The Los Angeles Times reported that she said Lamar asked her to do the dance. Her cameo lasted less than five seconds, according to TIME; she was not a musical guest or a featured singer.
What is the Drake connection with Serena Williams?
There are two separate connections. Lamar performed “Not Like Us,” a diss track aimed at Drake, and Williams was reported by TIME and the Los Angeles Times to have been romantically linked to Drake in the early 2010s. The reports describe that past link as rumored, not as a definitively established relationship.
Did Serena Williams dance to “Not Like Us”?
Yes. Williams appeared briefly as a solo side dancer during Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us” near the end of his Super Bowl LIX set.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →What was Serena Williams’s Wimbledon dance controversy?
After winning women’s singles gold at the 2012 London Olympics, Williams celebrated at Wimbledon, where Olympic tennis was held. Her dance drew criticism. After the Super Bowl appearance, she joked that she would have been fined for dancing that way at Wimbledon.
Was Serena Williams’s cameo meant to taunt Drake?
The cameo prompted that speculation because it happened during a Drake diss track and Williams had reportedly been linked to Drake. But the reporting does not establish that motive. Williams said Lamar asked her to do the dance and described the moment as “all love.”
The Bottom Line
Serena Williams danced for a few seconds during Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” at Super Bowl LIX. The Drake connection is real in the song’s target and in reports that Williams and Drake were romantically linked, though the relationship is not established as fact. Williams and Lamar also share Compton roots, and the dance recalled her 2012 Olympic celebration at Wimbledon. None of those details proves the cameo was intended as a taunt: Williams said Lamar asked her to dance and called the moment “all love.”
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
