Conan O’Brien makes risky joke at Drake, Kendrick Lamar feud while hosting Oscars 2025

Conan O’Brien doesn’t seem afraid to take a dig at Kendrick Lamar and Drake over the pair's feud going on since last year.

The comedian and host didn’t hold back during his Academy Awards hosting gig, slipping in a sharp joke about one of the biggest rap feuds in recent history—Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar.

“We’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile,” O’Brien quipped, pausing for comedic effect before adding with a smirk, “Don’t worry, I’m lawyered up.”

The reference, of course, was to Lamar’s explosive Super Bowl Halftime Show performance in February, where he performed his diss track Not Like Us. 

The song, which became the defining anthem of their rap battle, featured the line: “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophile,” a direct jab at Drake’s 2021 album title.

Drake, for his part, hasn’t taken the accusations lightly. 

He recently filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group, claiming defamation and harassment over the track’s lyrics. The legal battle is the latest chapter in their heated rivalry, which kicked off in early 2024 when Lamar dropped a fiery verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s Like That. 

The back-and-forth escalated into a full-on lyrical war, culminating in a series of diss tracks, with Not Like Us emerging as the biggest hit of the feud.

Just before his Super Bowl performance, Lamar had already cemented his dominance at the 2025 Grammy Awards, taking home Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

As for O’Brien, his Oscars joke was just one of many zingers throughout the night—though it’s safe to say this one hit a little closer to home for the two rap giants.