NFL, FOX Decision on Kendrick Lamar, 'Not Like Us' Lyrics Looms for Super Bowl

Kendrick Lamar is about to find out if his smash hit "Not Like Us" is as popular with NFL and network lawyers and execs as it is with the public -- and his Super Bowl Halftime Show hangs in the balance.

This is a big day down in the Big Easy, as Kendrick's set list is expected to be handed off to the NFL and FOX honchos gathered in New Orleans for the game. Wednesday is typically the day Halftime Show performers pull back the curtain for the league, and reveal the songs they're going to perform.

But, this year there's extra attention on Kendrick's plans, because of "Not Like Us," and the defamation lawsuit Drake filed against Universal Music Group over the diss track ... which, as we all know, flat-out calls Drake a "certified pedophile."

So, here's what usually goes down ... once the execs get the set list, they call in the lawyers, who pore over the lyrics to make sure there's nothing that'll get the league or the network in trouble with the FCC.

Now, there's no doubt Kendrick is doing the song -- our sources connected to him, the network and the league all confirm that. What the lawyers have to decide is whether to broadcast the lyrics that allegedly defame Drake, and risk a potential lawsuit.

Fun fact: There are not one, but 2 censors on game day -- the NFL has an official who can bleep out content, and then FOX has a backup. Remember, it's all broadcast on a 5-second delay ... just in case.

Worth noting is what happened Sunday night when K Dot won Record of the Year at the Grammys. CBS opted to play the "pedophile" portion of the song as he walked onstage, and the whole crowd at Crypto.com Arena loudly sang the iconic "A minor" line. Imagine that now with more than 80,000 people Sunday in the Superdome.