Kendrick Lamar’s 13-minute performance at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans was a huge step in both his career and the history of the Super Bowl. Over 130 million people watched Kendrick take the stage. He is the first solo hip-hop artist to perform in over sixty years. Lamar delivered an electrifying performance that will be talked about for years to come.
A Historic Stage
It’s no doubt that the Superbowl Stage is one of the most iconic stages to perform on. It has been a platform where the biggest names in music showcase their talent to the world. From Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking performance in 1993, Prince in 2007, and Beyoncé’s showstopping performance in 2013. The halftime stage has been graced by artists who have left a mark on music history. It has also been the stage for unforgettable moments and a place to pay homage to the culture and background the artists come from
Kendrick’s Symbolism Explained
The performance has been the topic of conversation for its intense symbolism regarding the past and present state of America. Lamar is known for his socially conscious lyrics and thought-provoking performances. The Grammy Award winning rapper opened the show with special guest Samuel L. Jackson as “Uncle Sam.” Jackson’s character is there to remind Kendrick to be what a typical Super Bowl performer should be and what certain sections of America expect. He tells Lamar his performance is “too ghetto,” “too reckless,” and “too loud.” His interjections with commentary are representative of how America views black people and culture. It’s important to note that Samuel L. Jackson played a slave who is fiercely loyal to his owner in the 2012 film Django Unchained
Jackson’s character is there to challenge Kendrick throughout his performance. He’s suggesting that Lamar’s songs aren’t what the typical Superbowl demographic wants to see. Lamar states “the revolution ‘bout to be televised, you got the right time but the wrong guy.” Which references Gil Scott-Heron’s song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” Kendrick Lamar doesn’t want to play the “game” that Uncle Sam thinks he should play.
The performance featured over 25 African American dancers, all men, dressed in red, white in blue. They all created a formation of the American Flag. Lamar stood in the center of the dancers dividing them. The dancers also have their backs turned to each other symbolizing racial and political divide.
Kendrick is forever committed to the Hater Bit
Lamar’s setlist was filled with songs the spanned over the last 15 years in his music career. He performed fan favorites like Humble, and DNA as well as songs that showcased his powerful storytelling.
The highlight of the night was Lamar’s performance of his chart-topping diss track “Not Like Us” which is a response to his infamous feud with fellow rapper Drake. It was unclear if he would perform the song because of a pending lawsuit, but he did. He dropped the line alluding to Drake being a pedophile and winked at the camera while saying “I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.” This obviously hypes the crowd up as he started to play the song.
Lamar also, had a few interesting fashion statements as well. He wore a lower case “a” throughout his performance that is an iconic reference to his lyrics in “Not Like Us” where he raps about Drake: ‘tryna strike a chord and it’s probably a minor.”
Two female guest who both have a history with Drake also performed: SZA, his frequent collab partner who dated Drake in 2009, and tennis legend Serena Williams who dated him in 2013.
SZA and Kendrick performed two of their songs, “All the Stars” and “Luther” and perhaps one of the most unexpected moments was Serena C-Walking on stage, which created some controversy back in 2012 when she did it at Wimbledon.
So, why are Drake and Kendrick Beefing?
I’m sure you’re wondering, where did this feud stem from? It wasn’t always this way, the two collaborated on Drake’s 2011 song “Buried Alive Interlude” and Kendrick’s 2012 song Poetic Justice. But the love between the two didn’t last long.
In 2013, Lamar was featured on a Big Sean song where he called out rappers including Drake by saying “I got love for you all, but I am trying to murder you.”
Drake took this personally and responded in a Billboard Article saying, “Kendrick’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform.” As the years went on the rappers continued to make jabs at each other here and there.
Then, the beef exploded even more with Kendrick saying “there’s no big three, just big me” in reference to the GOATS of hip-hop.
In 2023, J. Cole reignited the beef on his song with Drake title “First Person Shooter.” He rapped “Love when they argue the hardest MC… Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?” referencing Lamar and Drake’s whose real name is Aubrey Graham. Drake continues to come for Lamar on his song “Push Ups” rapping “You ain’t in no Big Three, SZA got you wiped down, Travis got you wiped down…” Funny enough, SZA would go on tour with Kendrick and perform at the Superbowl.
The two men continue to go at each for months thus resulting in the iconic song “Not Like Us.” It spent weeks at #1 on the Billboard Charts and became the No. 6 song of the year in 2024.
All in all, the Super Bowl halftime show is not just an entertainment break during a football game, it’s a place that represents culture and history. It’s also proof that being hater just might get you a Grammy and a performance at the Superbowl.
