Kendrick Lamar deepfake video — Oct 2026

The campaign of Senator Marsha Blackburn, currently running for governor of Tennessee, released an AI-generated video that sparked significant public criticism. The clip featured a digital recreation of Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl halftime performance, with the Senator and several other Republican politicians superimposed into the scene.

What happened

The video depicted Senator Blackburn performing as Kendrick Lamar during his rendition of the song "Not Like Us." Alongside her, the AI-generated footage featured Representative Tim Burchett, Senator Bill Hagerty, state Senator Brent Taylor, and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs appearing as backing dancers. The original Super Bowl performance had previously been a subject of intense debate among some of the Senator's political base, who had characterized the event as "Satanic" and "absolute trash."

The release of the video drew immediate backlash from critics and political opponents. Observers labeled the content an "AI cringe fest," with some social media users expressing strong disapproval. Former Representative Adam Kinzinger described the video as "Holy what," while Blackburn's Democratic gubernatorial rival, Jerri Green, used the incident to call for an end to the use of AI in political campaigning. Despite the controversy, Kendrick Lamar has not issued a public comment regarding the unauthorized use of his likeness and music, though some critics have publicly suggested that he should issue a cease-and-desist letter.