Did Kendrick Lamar get paid for his Super Bowl Halftime Show?
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was received with mixed reactions. Many were upset when it was announced that the Compton superstar would be headlining the show, as many believed that Lil Wayne deserved to perform, considering the match was taking place in his home city of New Orleans.
Lamar was lucky, considering he had a dress rehearsal when he performed alongside Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Eminem at the 2022 Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. The performance occurred on February 9th during the halftime period of a football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The performance saw cameos from a range of celebrities, including Samuel L Jackson, who dressed as Uncle Sam as well as Tennis champion Serena Williams, who appeared during the choreography for Lamar’s hit diss track ‘Not Like Us’.
Still, despite how brilliant the show was, many who watched it labelled it the “worst ever.” In addition to ‘Not Like Us,’ Lamar also performed tracks such as ‘Humble,’ ‘DNA,’ and ‘Euphoria.’ Even Kanye West called it the “best halftime show since Michael Jackson.”
Still, it was slammed by online users. One user wrote, “I thought The Weeknd was bad, but Kendrick Lamar took that spot! Worst halftime show ever!” While another added, “This halftime show at the Super Bowl by Kendrick Lamar is hot garbage … Worst of all time.” Although the performance was a high-budget epic spectacle, many were surprised to learn that aside from a modest “union-mandated fee”, the GNX creator wasn’t paid for his performance at the Super Bowl.
According to WCNC Charlotte, no artist has ever been paid to perform at the Super Bowl. Instead, a union pays for the travel costs and rehearsal costs. In their report, WCNC Charlotte revealed, “The NFL may cover travel costs for artists but maintains its long-standing tradition of not paying performers for the pregame and halftime shows beyond the minimum union scale requirements.” The report continued, “Under union agreements, this typically amounts to around $1,000 per day for rehearsals and the performance itself. That means no splashy appearance fees for these major artists.”
Instead, headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show simply provides artists with a vast amount of exposure, which is usually reflected in their streaming numbers following the event. Past performers like Maroon 5 saw a 434% increase in sales in 2019, and Justin Timberlake saw a 534% sales gain following his 2018 Super Bowl performance.
Although Lamar received a huge amount of exposure from his performance this year, his choreography also prompted over 125 complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), mainly regarding its political nature and focus on black America. Furthermore, probably to Drake’s delight, some complained about the rapper’s lyrics.
According to those who did contact the FCC, it included “vulgarity” and wasn’t appropriate for primetime television. One viewer from Lenox, Illinois, asserted, “My younger kids did not need to see and hear this!” The same viewer also complained about “the language and gestures.”