Kendrick Lamar performed the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Feb. 9, in New Orleans, La., during the matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was the first solo rap artist to perform at the event, a fitting followup to his five Grammy wins the previous Sunday. Lamar took the opportunity to speak about the “powers that be,” potentially referring partially to President Donald Trump, who was notably in attendance.
The show opened with actor Samuel L. Jackson introducing himself as a Black Uncle Sam, and referring to the “great American game” on a stage that resembled a game controller. Samuel L. Jackson was not only the perfect pick to play Uncle Sam because of his name, but also because of who he is to the Black community as a prominent actor and an activist in the late ‘60s. The casting choice subtly challenged the traditional symbols of American power by viewing them through a Black cultural lens.
The camera panned to Lamar squatting on the hood of a black GNX clown car as his dancers filed out one by one. His dancers wore sweat sets with durags in either red, white or blue.
Suddenly, the music stopped, and Lamar said, “The revolution ‘bout to be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy.” The first half of his statement was a nod to the song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron from 1971. Lamar flipped this lyric to show that the world cannot ignore the struggles of Black Americans anymore.
Kendrick Lamar, who is from Compton, Calif., grew up seeing the impact of systemic racism on his community and has explored societal injustices in his music. He said that they “picked the right time but the wrong guy.” Many have speculated about who or what his words refer to. Some guess that it was another reference to Trump, although it could be a societal critique, or even a reference to himself.
Uncle Sam came back into frame and shouted, “No, no, no! Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto! Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!” This moment represented how Black art is often viewed as trashy and unpleasant and how Black individuals are expected to suppress their culture in order to “play the game.” Kendrick responded immediately by launching into his hit “HUMBLE.”, a song about knowing your place.
His dancers created powerful visual symbolism during this set, forming an image of a divided American flag. Their choreography reflected the deep polarization of American society today, while Kendrick stood at the center. There were also no female dancers seen in this section, which was perhaps a hint at critiques against America’s attitude towards women.
Then, the stage became a road lit up by street lights, as he transitioned into “DNA,” which is about taking pride in who you are and where you come from. Both of these songs are from his album “DAMN.,” which was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for music. He then performed “Euphoria,” an earlier Drake diss track named after the HBO teen drama “Euphoria” that Drake produced, which was widely criticized for sexualizing high schoolers. The track calls Drake out for his alleged unoriginal artistry and questionable behavior around minors.
He then went into an a capella rendition of “Man At The Garden,” which tackles themes of ambition and greed. He ended with an unfinished sentence: “Why you think you deserve the greatest of all ti-?” cutting off the word “time” while shaking his head in disgust. Uncle Sam came back and called this “the old culture cheat code” and told the scorekeeper to “deduct one life.”
Lamar sped through “Peekaboo” before teasing what everyone was waiting for: “Not Like Us.” However, he admitted he had to think twice about performing the song because “you know they like to sue,” a likely reference to Drake, who recently filed a lawsuit against the artist for defamation. Lamar then slowed down the show with “Luther” and “All the Stars,” bringing out SZA, one of Drake’s ex-girlfriends. Once again, his dancers created a dystopian scene, marching in uniform circles.
Afterward, Uncle Sam came back to express his approval and said, “That is what America wants! Nice and calm. You’ve almost got it, don’t mess this —” but was interrupted by the introduction of “Not Like Us.”
Kendrick responded by saying, “40 acres and a mule this is bigger than the music … They tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence.” His words referenced the never-fulfilled promise made to Black people shortly after their emancipation when they were guaranteed reparations for their sacrifices during slavery, a promise that was never fulfilled. He said his performance was about more than the music; it was about reflecting how much Black Americans have contributed to our culture not only through art and music but also through years of oppression that built our economy and infrastructure. Black people have been historically oppressed, and despite this, they still have more influence than “the powers that be” can control.
He sang “Not Like Us,” his iconic diss track against Drake that was recently awarded five Grammys. In the song, he directly called out Drake while his dancers all fell to the ground. Olympian Serena Williams, another one of Drake’s ex-girlfriends, appeared crip walking to the song the same way that she was criticized for doing after winning the London Olympics in 2012. This was an extra jab at Drake for his mistreatment of women.
He ended the performance with “TV off,” repeatedly saying, “Turn this TV off.” Some speculate that he was trying to inspire viewers to take action rather than just watching TV and do something about what is going on in the world. It could also be just a final dig at Drake telling someone to turn his TV off so he doesn’t feel too bad. The ambiguity of the meaning behind his final song has kept his performance in people’s minds this past week, trying to decode all of his underlying messages.