After an incredibly successful year in music for Kendrick Lamar, highlighted by the Drake diss track “Not Like Us” which would go on to win five Grammys, Kendrick was offered the halftime performance slot at Super Bowl LIX, where the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs faced off.
This is the most excited I’ve been for a halftime performance in a very long time. I adore Kendrick; he’s my favorite rapper. Aside from his undeniable talent, I appreciate his stance and outspokenness about politics, especially in his lyrics. He also refrains from the popular trend that modern rappers follow of objectifying women in their lyrics, leaning into lyrics about his personal journey instead.
And my excitement only grew when I learned that SZA, who Kendrick is touring with this year, would be joining him for a guest appearance. I’ve been listening to SZA even longer than Kendrick and love them as a duo. I had no doubt that this would be a phenomenal performance – and they didn’t disappoint.
Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, introduced the performance, quoted saying “This is the great American game.” Having a Black man play Uncle Sam, a character seen as the pinnacle of American culture, is another example of Kendrick’s strong political stances, particularly when relating to race.
The Americana theme ran strong throughout the performance, where the group of notably all Black dancers were dressed in red, white and blue, with dyed hair to match.
But this wasn’t merely a celebration of Kendrick’s nation. The dancers, forming a flag, were split down the middle, as a jab at the current political scene in the United States, one Kendrick is outwardly unhappy with.
Jackson popped in after one of Kendrick’s more “rap” songs, “squabble up” to satirically jab at Kendrick “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto!” But when Kendrick played slower songs such as “luther” and “All the Stars,” both with SZA, he approved with “This is what the American people want.”
This contrast of quotes from Samuel L. Jackson is Kendrick’s way of criticizing the government for attempting to control the media and actions of citizens, especially when coming from Black artists, authors or other creators.
“The revolution is about to be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy,” Lamar declared, in what many are suspecting is a shot at Donald Trump, the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl, and a political figure who Kendrick has come out against in the past, such as in lyrics from “XXX,” saying “With homicidal thoughts, Donald Trump is in office.”
Stepping away from political symbolism, the performance was also full of nods to the Kendrick-Drake rap beef, headlined by a performance of the most popular track out of the beef, “Not Like Us,” which was teased throughout the performance before being performed as the second to last track in the setlist.
Kendrick wore a lowercase “a” necklace for the performance, representing “A minor,” the most recognizable lyric in the diss track, receiving deafening sing-alongs from the Super Bowl crowd. It’s a representation of Kendrick’s continuous jabs at Drake relating to his alleged pedophilia, stemming from his unusual relationships with young women in the music and acting industries, such as Millie Bobby Brown.
To attack Drake even more, two of his ex girlfriends made appearances during the show, namely SZA and Serena Williams. While SZA was expected and performed multiple songs during the show, Serena was a surprise, seen Crip Walking during “Not Like Us.” Kendrick won’t let up on Drake, and it looks to me like this is the final word of the beef. Drones hovering above the crowd spelled out “GAME OVER,” an appropriate “ending” to the months-long beef between the two rappers.
There’s been much criticism of the performance for being too boring and not high-energy enough. But those criticisms are from people who either don’t understand or don’t agree with the symbolism throughout the show.
Kendrick Lamar is a genius in rap and a genius in verbalizing and showcasing his political stances and making a difference in the modern world of music and art, and this halftime performance is a prime example of that ability.
