The glittering 2025 Academy Awards stage became an unexpected battleground when flame-haired funnyman Conan O'Brien launched a verbal missile at the heart of music's most explosive rivalry. Like a comedic sniper, Conan O'Brien referenced Kendrick Lamar's earth-shattering Super Bowl spectacle aimed at Drake with surgical precision. The barb, slicing through the air with the sharpness of a platinum record's edge, electrified the star-studded audience and instantly reignited the smoldering embers of hip-hop's most talked-about feud. Lamar's incendiary Super Bowl LIX performance, featuring the now-infamous 'Not Like Us' track, had already set the music world ablaze, and O'Brien's perfectly timed comedic grenade only intensified the conflagration.

The Conan O'Brien jab at Drake during Oscars 2025 all packaged in a spectacular Kendrick Lamar Halftime show reference came at a crucial time as the host was sinking neck deep in criticism as fans accused him of "wasting time" as he ironically sang about not wanting to waste anyone's time. Social media platforms transformed into virtual coliseums where devoted tribes of fans clashed over the comedian's intentions, was this merely harmless jest or a deliberate choosing of sides in rap's most contentious conflict? As Lamar's lyrical lightning bolt continues sending thunderous reverberations through the industry and O'Brien's Hollywood amplification echoes across entertainment spheres, this melodic grudge match shows no signs of retreating into the shadows, instead burning brighter with each passing day.

Conan O’Brien’s Oscars joke came after a heated month in the Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud. Lamar bagged his Grammy wins with 'Not Like Us' taking Record and Song of the Year. Days later, he rocked the Super Bowl halftime show with guests like SZA and Serena Williams, sending 'Not Like Us' back to No. 1. Drake responded by topping the Billboard 200 with '$ome $exy $ongs 4 U,' while Lamar and SZA’s 'Luther' also hit No. 1,  further cementing their rivalry as the defining music battle of the year.

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While Kendrick Lamar may have taken home the Oscars for being the biggest hater, had their been one, Conan O'Brien also posed as a wonderful contendor as he came for Hollywood, tech billionaires, and even himself in his Oscars 2025 monologue.

Conan O’Brien opened the 2025 Oscars with his signature humor, following a Wicked performance by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Entering in a dramatic The Substance inspired bit, he joked about his age before launching into sharp one-liners. He quipped that A Complete Unknown, A Real Pain, and Nosferatu were just some of the names he was called on the red carpet. O’Brien also poked fun at Wicked, calling it “the perfect movie for anybody who’s ever finished watching The Wizard of Oz and thought, Sure, but where did all the minor characters go to college.”

Conan O’Brien tackled the night’s biggest controversies, from the AI debate in The Brutalist to religious concerns over Conclave. He joked about Hollywood’s reliance on AI, claiming the Oscars used “child labor” instead. He also staged a bit where Jeff Bezos arrived in an Amazon package, only to be stolen. Despite the sharp humor, O’Brien took a heartfelt moment to acknowledge the Los Angeles wildfires, blending comedy with sincerity in a memorable monologue.

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What do you think of Conan O'Brien’s joke? Did he take it too far, or was it all in good fun? Let us know in the comments!