Oscars joke writer Skyler Higley defended the Kendrick Lamar and Drake joke he wrote for the 97th Academy Awards monologue. He explained the joke was in reference to the cultural moment and that O'Brien was not taking sides in the rappers' feud.

Roughly halfway through the broadcast ( which we live-blogged with reckless abandon ), during a break between Oscars being handed out, O’Brien delivered a perfectly timed quip referencing Kendrick Lamar’s now-infamous Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance.

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,