On Sunday, Feb. 9, Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar took the stage as the Super Bowl LIX halftime show performer. Lamar is the Super Bowl’s first solo rapper, and his performance did not disappoint. He performed a total of 10 songs with hits such as “All of the Stars,” “Humble,” “DNA.,” and the five-Grammy-winning song “Not Like Us.” Guest performers including SZA, Serena Williams, Samuel L. Jackson, and Mustard made an appearance, all of which enhanced the performance. However, Lamar’s halftime show was not just any concert—it was a cultural statement.
The set opened with Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam. “This is the great American game,” he said. Throughout his career, Lamar has used Uncle Sam as a symbol of racism and political power. In addition to the Super Bowl, the Uncle Sam character appeared in his second studio album, “To Pimp a Butterfly.” In his half-time show, Lamar used the oppressive character of Uncle Sam to enrich the performance to a deeper level, as he personified the U.S. government’s discrimination towards the Black community. From the start of his performance to the end, Lamar showed subtle messages of symbolism as a protest for change against racism and oppression towards Black Americans, going against the rules of the “great American game.”
Lamar kicked off his 13-minute performance standing on a Buick GNX as he began to sing the title track from his newest album, “GNX.” In flared jeans and a backward baseball cap, all eyes were on Lamar as the show was underway.
Dancers in red, white, and blue emerged from the Buick GNX as Lamar declared, “The revolution is about to be televised—you picked the right time, but the wrong guy.” Immediately, “Squabble Up” began to play as flashing lights blasted across the entirety of the stage. Jackson interrupted the set, asking, “Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto—Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game?” Disregarding Jackson’s comment, Lamar went right into “Humble” as dancers assembled into an American flag formation, with Lamar in the center, symbolizing a divided country. The flag demonstrated the political divide America has faced for decades as well as social issues regarding race and equality for all. The dancers began to disperse, running around as “DNA.” started playing followed by “Euphoria” and “man at the garden.”
“So you brought your homeboys with you,” Jackson said. “The old culture cheat code. Scorekeeper, deduct one life.” Jackson’t interruptions throughout the performance add a third-party voice that immediately grabs attention. The message behind Uncle Sam’s voice was powerful, and his character’s meaning meant far more than a Super Bowl half-time show.
Lamar moved into his next song, “Peekaboo,” where he sang in an X-shaped box surrounded by dancers dressed in all white. Lamar gave the audience a quick teaser of “Not Like Us” before moving into his next song, “luther.”
As “luther” began to play, the camera flashed to SZA dressed in an all-red leather outfit as she danced and sang across the stage. SZA and Lamar began singing together and the audience cheered as they heard the beat of the hit song “All the Stars.” Walking on a spinning circle, Lamar and SZA sang “All the Stars” as fans went wild. However, once again Jackson interrupted the song. “That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what America wants—nice, calm. You’re almost there, don’t mess this…” he said. “Nice” and “calm” are both adjectives that Jackson used to describe how America thinks Lamar should be using the big stage. Throughout his career, Lamar has been faced with the pressures of performing to America what they want to hear, however, his half-time performance exemplifies protesting for change, even if it goes against the “nice” and “calm” rules of the game.
The beat of “Not Like Us” cut off Jackson as Lamar got ready to perform one of his most controversial and iconic songs—a diss track about well-known rapper Drake. “You really ‘bout to do this?” dancers asked Lamar as the whole audience anticipated the start of history. Taking the feud to the world stage, Lamar stared directly into the camera singing, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young,” addressing years’ worth of conflict between the two rappers. Throughout the song, the camera flashed to women’s tennis sensation Serena Williams, an ex-girlfriend of Drake’s. Williams’s appearance shocked the nation, as it was yet another diss towards Drake. The “Not Like Us” performance will never be forgotten as Lamar showed America his fearless nature and his ability to put on an amazing show. Ending the performance was the appearance of Hollywood producer Mustard as Lamar finished his show with “tv off” from his most recent album.
Overall, Lamar delivered an unforgettable performance that many will continue to reminisce about. With a huge success at the recent Grammys, pressure was high for his show. However, he gave the world more than just a concert by using the big stage to critique American culture. Lamar displayed a variety of symbolism through dancing and music, which all worked together to protest for change regarding racism and stereotypical viewpoints toward Black Americans. As an artist, Lamar not only provided entertainment for his audience but also delivered a performance that captured a deeper meaning, forcing viewers to think about our present society and the future of America.
