Conan O’Brien shocked the Oscars with a joke about the ongoing beef between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake, and it’s one that earned the joke writer some cash. Comedian and writer Skyler Higley was the brains behind the joke,

Host Conan O’Brien’s Kendrick Lamar and Drake joke paid off big time at the 2025 Oscars. Not only because it was really good, but also because it made one of his writers 50 bucks.

At the halfway point of the Academy Awards telecast, host Conan O’Brien made a quip addressing the feud between the rappers. “Well, we’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile,” O’Brien joked getting laughs from the Dolby Theater.