Five things we learned from Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl show
The Super Bowl halftime show is always a momentous occasion. On February 9th, Kendrick Lamar became the first solo rapper to headline the big event, having previously been brought out as a special guest during Dr Dre’s show several years ago.
Unsurprisingly, the performance was full of notable moments. The Compton rapper continued to diss Drake in the most brutal ways throughout, while Samuel L Jackson swapped the movie screen for the biggest stage in music.
“I think I’ve always been very open about storytelling through all my catalogue and my history of music,” Kendrick said in a press conference before the Super Bowl. “This is me. This is Kendrick Lamar, 37 years old, and I still feel like I’m elevating, I’m still on a journey.” He delivered just that.
Below, check out five things we learned from Kendrick’s Super Bowl halftime show performance.
Kendrick dealt further blows to Drake
One of the most talked about things ahead of the Super Bowl was whether Kendrick would take the opportunity to take further jabs at Drake, and he didn’t disappoint. Following their beef last year, K. Dot performed diss tracks ‘Euphoria’ and most famously ‘Not Like Us’. He teased the latter song throughout, telling the audience, “I want to perform their favourite song, but you know they love to sue,” referencing Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group.
When it finally came the performance, Kendrick looked into the camera and said, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young,” while smiling. Although he held back on outright calling Drake a paedophile, the crowd sang along in unison when he rapped, “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor.”
The final blow was the words “game over” illuminated in the crowd at the end of the halftime show, seemingly putting the nails in the coffin of their rap beef.
Samuel L Jackson was the narrator we didn’t know we needed
One of the biggest surprises of the night was Samuel L Jackson narrating the entire halftime show as “Uncle Sam.” The legendary actor wore a blue coat and patriotic top hat, complete with red, white and blue colours.
“Salutations, it’s your uncle, Sam, and this is the great American game,” Jackson said at the start of the show to introduce Kendrick. Then, before performing ‘HUMBLE‘, he returned to say, “No, no, no. Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto. Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up.”
After performing his SZA collaborations, Jackson said, “Yeah, yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. That’s what America wants. Nice and calm. You’re almost there. Don’t mess this up.” Kendrick then went in the complete opposite direction, performing his brutal Drake beatdown, ‘Not Like Us’.
Serena Williams still has a grudge against Drake
Drake once dated Serena Williams, so her appearance on stage is likely not coincidental. The tennis legend, who also grew up in Compton, Crip-walked on stage during Kendrick’s performance of ‘Not Like Us’.
Williams previously mentioned the beef at the ESPYs last year. “If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us, not a single one of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” she said. “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a [Toronto] Raptors game, they’re going to Forrest Gump him. Seats taken.”
Drake revealed that his 2016 song ‘Too Good’ featuring Rihanna was about Williams, while mentioning her specifically on his 2022 track ‘Middle of the Ocean’.
SZA was a highlight of the performance
Kendrick and SZA have built an undeniable chemistry and it was clear for all to see during the Super Bowl halftime show. The TDE singer appeared on stage for ‘Luther’ from Kendrick’s recent album, GNX, before performing their hit single ‘All the Stars’ from the Black Panther soundtrack. The crowd erupted when SZA sang the chorus of the hit song, which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
The pair are also hitting the road together this year on the Grand National Tour, so this is just a taste of what’s to come. The’ve previously collaborated on other songs such as ’30 for 30′, ‘Gloria’, ‘Doves in the Wind’, ‘Babylon’ and Jay Rock’s ‘Easy Bake’, with SZA even revealing she wants them to record a collaborative album.
A performer protested with a Palestine flag
During Kendrick’s performance of ‘TV Off‘, which saw him bring out the song’s producer, Mustard, the show was interrupted by a protestor holding a Sudanese-Palestinian flag with Sudan and Gaza written on it.
However, the NFL confirmed that, rather than being a pitch invader, the individual was one of the 400 cast members for the performance. The New Orleans Police Department said that “law enforcement is working to determine applicable charges in this incident.” While standing on Kendrick’s prop car, the man waved his flag around before running down to the field and being grabbed by security.
“The individual will (be) banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press in a statement. “The individual hid the item on his person and unveiled it late in the show. No one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent.”