Protestor interrupts Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl show
Kendrick Lamar‘s Super Bowl halftime show was interrupted by a protestor on February 9th. The man was detained on the field and could face charges after displaying a Sudanese-Palestinian flag with Sudan and Gaza written on it.
The New Orleans Police Department stated that “law enforcement is working to determine applicable charges in this incident.” The NFL confirmed that, rather than being a pitch invader, the individual was one of the 400 cast members for the performance.
The performer stood on Kendrick’s prop car on stage for his protest while the rapper performed. He waved the flag around before running down to the field and eventually 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.”
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, the show’s production company, said the act “was neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal.” The incident was barely visible on television and the show continued as planned.
The man protested during Kendrick’s performance of ‘TV Off’, a song from his GNX album, which was released in November. The performance saw the Compton rapper bring out the song’s producer, Mustard.
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 before Kendrick hit the stage for the halftime show. K. Dot performed songs from his GNX and DAMN albums, as well as diss tracks from his feud with Drake. SZA was welcomed onto the stage as a special guest, with actor Samuel L Jackson and former tennis player Serena Williams also part of the show.
Prior the event, Kendrick said he wanted to bring “storytelling” to his performance. “I think I’ve always been very open about storytelling through all my catalogue and my history of music,” he said in a press conference. “This is me. This is Kendrick Lamar, 37 years old, and I still feel like I’m elevating, I’m still on a journey.”