With the entire world watching, the Kansas City Chiefs struggled to stay in the game, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22. But while the game itself may not have gone their way, Kendrick Lamar left the field with another win for the culture. The highly anticipated half-time show began with Samuel L. Jackson introducing Kendrick Lamar to the stage. Jackson declared, “It’s your uncle, SAM!! And this is the great American game.”
This performance had a lot to unpack, so for those who missed it, let me break it down for you. Uncle Sam is a well-known national personification of the United States, often used to represent the federal government and patriotic emotion. From the introduction alone, it was clear that this performance would evoke strong emotions and spark controversy.
Throughout the performance, Uncle Sam was critical of Kendrick Lamar, accusing him of being "too loud," "too ghetto," and "too reckless." In response, Kendrick delivered powerful performances of tracks like *"Squabble Up,"* *"HUMBLE."* and *"DNA."* The 400 field cast members were dressed in red, white, and blue, forming the American flag in their formation, with Kendrick standing proudly at the center. Meanwhile, another group of cast members, dressed entirely in black, represented the revolution.
At one point, the Grammy Award-winning artist declared, “The revolution is about to be televised, but you picked the wrong guy,” while standing on top of a Buick Grand National GNX—the same car featured on his album cover. This album cover had previously sparked rumors online that it was a subtle diss aimed at rapper Lil Wayne, as Wayne had posed in a similar manner on the cover of *Tha Carter III* in front of his Rolls-Royce Phantom. Fans speculated about the tension between the two artists, especially after it was announced that Kendrick, who is not from New Orleans, Louisiana, would headline the Super Bowl half-time show in Lil Wayne’s hometown. Lil Wayne himself expressed disappointment at not being invited to perform at the Super Bowl, the first to take place in New Orleans.
As the show continued, Kendrick dropped a number of subliminal messages, but one of the most memorable moments was his interactive dialogue with female performers following the song *"Peekaboo."* He teased the crowd, saying, “Ladies, I want to perform their favorite song, but I know they like to sue.” This line led into an instrumental tease of *"Not Like Us,"* leaving the crowd anxiously wondering whether he would perform the track or not.
In 2024, Drake escalated his ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar by threatening to take their lyrical battle to court. He filed two pre-action legal petitions against Universal Music Group (UMG), the music company both artists are signed to. Fans criticized Drake for allegedly being a sore loser in response to the viral success of Kendrick’s diss tracks. Despite the controversy, Kendrick moved on to perform *"Luther"* and *"All the Stars"* alongside SZA.
Uncle Sam reappeared during the show to address Kendrick, saying, “This is what America wants—nice and calm.” He then warned Kendrick not to mess things up, but his speech was abruptly interrupted by the instrumental for *"Not Like Us."* At this point, Kendrick took a moment to explain why he had to perform the song. The female field cast joined him in a harmonious dialogue, asking, “Are you really about to do it?” Kendrick responded, explaining that the performance was about addressing cultural divides, referencing “40 acres and a mule,” and emphasizing that this was bigger than music. He alluded to the game being rigged but argued that true influence cannot be controlled. He closed the show with *"Not Like Us"* and *"TV Off."*
The performance wasn’t without its surprises. During the show, one of the field cast members waved a Palestinian flag and disrupted Kendrick’s performance. Security quickly tackled the protester and removed them from the stage. It remains unclear whether the individual was detained or released following the demonstration.
I don’t know about y’all, but this is one half-time show that will live in my head rent-free until the end of time. Social media is expected to be highly critical of the show, as it was unorthodox, unapologetic, and deeply meaningful. With the entire world watching, Kendrick delivered yet another jab at Drake, referencing the line, “Trying to strike a chord, but it’s probably a minor.” The lowercase "a" on Kendrick’s pendant was interpreted as a reference to "A minor" in music theory, adding a clever layer to the diss. To top it off, Kendrick brought out Serena Williams, who performed a Crip Walk on stage with him, taking another subtle shot at Drake, who had previously dated Serena and recently threatened to sue Kendrick.
So, did Kendrick Lamar meet expectations with his performance, or did he disappoint fans? Personally, I believe the prolific artist set a new standard for creativity and authenticity in half-time shows. This was not just a performance—it was a statement.
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