An Oscars writer has won a $50 bet after host Conan O'Brien delivered a joke about the feud between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake during the Academy Awards telecast. The joke, which referenced Lamar's Super Bowl performance of the diss track 'Not Like Us,' drew laughs from the audience at the Dolby Theatre.
Skyler Higley, who has previously worked with O'Brien on late-night shows, wrote the joke and bet an executive producer that it would land well. In a post on X, Higley confirmed the win, saying, 'Wrote the Kendrick Lamar joke and bet our executive producer $50 that it would kill. just made $50.'
The joke referred to Lamar's performance at Super Bowl LIX, where he performed 'Not Like Us,' a track that calls Drake a 'certified pedophile.' The song was released in May 2024 as part of a series of diss tracks between the two artists. Drake's team later filed a claim in a Manhattan court alleging that Universal Music Group conspired to inflate the track's popularity.
O'Brien's quip came halfway through the Oscars broadcast, with the host saying, 'Well, we're halfway through the show, which means it's time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile.' The line was met with laughter, securing Higley's bet.
