Why was Serena Williams at Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show?

During Kendrick Lamar’s electric halftime show, the rapper kept teasing a performance of his Grammy-winning single, “Not Like Us.”

When he finally performed it, he was joined by athlete Serena Williams dancing alongside him.

″Not Like Us,” which has celebrated massive popularity, is famously a diss track against Drake. As the song has become more and more successful, pop culture vultures have noted its impact on Drake’s reputation — and potentially his career.

Lamar’s lyrics notably hit on allegations that Drake has had relationships with underage women, something he’s denied. Still, one of the most popular sing-along lines in “Not Like Us,” goes: “tryna’ strike a chord and it’s probably A Minor.”

As Lamar performed “Not Like Us” for his halftime performance, Williams appeared dancing next to him.

According to reports, Drake and Williams briefly dated in 2015 and Drake reportedly wrote his song, “Too Good,” about Williams. Years later, he appeared to target Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian in some of the verses of his song, “Middle of the Ocean.”

» READ MORE: Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show set list: The songs he performed

In Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” he appeared to draw back on this with the line: “From Alondra down to Central, n— better not speak on Serena.”

Williams — who grew up in the same town as Lamar — expressed her support for Lamar at the 2024 ESPYS, made fun of Drake, and shared that she enjoyed “Not Like Us.”

”If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us, not a single one of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” Williams said before dancing to the song on stage. “He will make your hometown not like you.”

Fans are taking her surprise halftime show appearance as a silent line in the sand — and a symbolic “final blow” of sorts against Drake.