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What's The 'Say Drake, I Heard You Like 'Em Young' Meme? Kendrick Lamar's Smile At The Super Bowl Halftime Show Explained
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show blew up the internet this week, and one of the most viral moments was when he rapped, "Say Drake, I heard you like 'em young," while smiling mischievously at the viewer.
It has since quickly become a meme online over the last few days, arguably becoming the biggest moment from Super Bowl LIX.
Lamar's "Not Like Us" performance on the NFL's grand stage seems to be the final nail in Drake's coffin regarding the ongoing feud between the two rappers.
Perhaps, there are a few more nails left, but for now, meme creators on TikTok and elsewhere are centering on this "Say Drake" lyric to further the onslaught of posts about Drake's downfall.
So, what is this meme? Why is it going viral and what does it mean? Let's explain.
Where Does The 'Say Drake, I Heard You Like 'Em Young' Meme Come From?
Last May, rapper Kendrick Lamar released "Not Like Us," his fourth diss track toward Drake as part of their 2024 beef. The song was a scathing attack on the Toronto superstar, accusing him of having a preference for younger (much younger) women and being a culture vulture of the Black identity.
Some of the most iconic lyrics are, "Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor," and, "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young."
"Not Like Us" has easily become one of Lamar's most iconic songs, adding to his already platinum discography. It, along with his other diss tracks from the feud like "euphoria" and "meet the grahams," cemented (in the minds of many internet users and rap fans) that Kendrick won the beef.
Kendrick Lamar was chosen for the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime show after all this. Naturally, many online imagined what would happen if Lamar performed "Not Like Us" for an audience of millions.
Of course, he did perform it on Super Bowl Sunday. A moment that stuck out for people was when he was walking around in a circle, surrounded by dancers, laying into Drake with his lyrics. When Lamar rapped, "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young," he smiled into the camera, seemingly smiling at Drake and his OVO crew.
@consequence SAY DRAKE…
How Is 'Say Drake' Being Used In Memes?
The clip went viral on social media sites like TikTok almost immediately after the Super Bowl aired. Many of the memes joked about Lamar's smile with a lot of posts championing his happiness at the expense of Drake. One video compared Lamar to the Smiling Buck Tooth Emoji.
@lovecho1san say drake 😃 #viral #fyp #viralvideo #kendrick #kendricklamar #halftimeshow #notlikeus #nfl #football #halftimeshow2025 #sza #drake ♬ lmk ꨄ – …
Others like TikToker @nonathango built on the idea, pointing out that before Lamar performed "Not Like Us," he said it was his "favorite song" even though some people wanted to sue him for it.
The video has strayed further from its original context via green-screen memes that layer Lamar walking and rapping the lyric overtop different backgrounds. Meme creators have given the moment new meanings, like one popular iteration that joked about seeing your best friend's ex in public.
@nikki_makes_memes He better be scared #ex #bestie #drake ♬ Kendrick Lamar they not like us SUPERBOWL – GreenScreams
What's The 'Say Drake, I Heard You Like 'Em Young' Meme Template?
For memes, you can download the still image below. Simply add a caption to it that matches the energy of Lamar's "Say Drake" quote and post it to social media.
Alternatively, you can download the green-screen video shown below to make a video iteration. In the description of this TikTok, there's a link to the editing app CapCut where you can complete the process.
@green.screams Kendrick Lamar Superbowl #capcutcreator #viralmemes #MemeCut ♬ Kendrick Lamar they not like us SUPERBOWL – GreenScreams
For the full history of Kendrick Lamar's "Say Drake," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.
