Grammys Host Hints At Kendrick Lamar, Drake Beef

In his sixth and last time hosting the Grammy Awards, Trevor Noah didn’t hold back on the layered jokes! A lil’ shade here, a couple kiiis there. Noah had the audience locked in, and didn’t spare his slights at President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, he played it safe with artists like Kendrick Lamar.
The host had other celebs cracking up after he told K. Dot why he didn’t write any jokes roasting him! Hint: the reason involves Drake.

Later, across the country from the Grammys, Trump popped off about the jabs Trevor Noah threw. As predicted, the president threatened to sue. The Recording Academy announced less than three weeks ago that Noah was returning “one final time.” Noah said during the show, “I believe in term limits.” 

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Kendrick Lamar Is All-Smiles As Trevor Noah References Drake Beef

Trevor Noah, like previous Grammys, took to the crowd with his hosting skills! At one point in the show, Noah cozied up to the night’s biggest nominee, Kendrick Lamar. No jokes, only congratulations and an explanation that had the audience in stitches!

“I actually thought about writing a few jokes roasting you, but then I remembered what you can do to light-skinned dudes from other countries,” Noah, who is from South Africa, said. “Yeah, me and my delegation are still recovering from the pain.”

If you didn’t catch it, Trevor Noah was referencing Kendrick Lamar’s 2024 beef with Drake, which inspired the Grammy-winning hit, ‘Not Like Us.’ Drizzy is still fighting for his life in 2026. Last month, he filed an appeal against the dismissal of his defamation case against Universal Music Group, for distributing the track.

Trevor Aims At Trump With Epstein Island Comment, President Claps Back

The Trump jabs started in Trevor Noah’s monologue and kept rolling after that. Noah said during his monologue that Lauryn Hill was performing on the show for the first time since 1999. Then, came the Trump AND Diddy slights.

“Do you understand how long ago that is?” he said. “Back in 1999, the president had had a sex scandal, people thought computers were about to destroy the world, and Diddy was arrested.”

Still, Trevor Noah played his monologue a little safe, compared to how he turnt up after Billie Eilish won song of the year. In her acceptance speech, she called out Trump’s anti-immigration agents, saying “F*ck ICE.”

“Wow. That is a Grammy that every artist wants,” Noah said, “almost as much as Trump wants Greenland. Which makes sense. I mean, because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.”

After the crowd’s reaction to the joke during the show, Noah said, “Oh, I told you, it’s my last year. What are you going to do about it?” Then, after the show in a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump reacted.

“Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory, statement, have never been accused being there, not even by the Fake News Media,” the post said. “Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.”

At a different point in the show, Noah joked about the president’s penchant for suing TV networks when he said the Grammys were airing “completely live” because “if we edited any of the show, the president would sue CBS for $16 billion.” That comment was a reference to Trump’s recent history with CBS News and a settlement he got from Paramount last summer.

Nicki Minaj Caught A Stray, Too! 

More Young Money shade? Elsewhere in the night, Trevor Noah mentioned that Nicki Minaj was absent from the Grammys audience. The room cheered. “She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues,” Noah joked.

This week, Minaj visited D.C. and praised the president at his Account Summit. She later visited the White House, and then attended the ‘Melania’ film premiere at the Kennedy Center. She has done on other occasions in recent months, seemingly aligning herself with that MAGA energy. Doing a Trump impression, Trevor Noah said at the Grammys, “Actually, Nicki, I have the biggest a*s, everybody’s saying it, Nicki.”

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AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.