Kendrick Lamar Plays the Game

Alexa Joseph
Apr 9
3 min read

By Chelsea Lu and Teresa Sun April 2, 2025

The stands fall silent as the stage floods with a kaleidoscope of colors. With neon lights casting a dramatic glow over the stadium’s backdrop, Kendrick Lamar emerges from the shadows.

The Super Bowl—annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL)—took place on Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. This year’s halftime show, headlined by Grammy- winning rapper Kendrick Lamar, has sparked a whirlwind of opinions, with some hailing it as groundbreaking and others deeming it the worst show in the game’s history.

Super Bowl halftime shows have historically featured performances by some of the biggest names in music such as Prince in 2007 and Beyoncé in 2013. Many older and more conservative audience members deemed Lamar too radical, Yahoo Entertainment reports, expressing that they did not want the show to be political; however, the news source also stated that younger fans supported Lamar due to his numerous accolades and compelling stage presence. Rappers such as Doechii and Snoop Dogg also took to X, formerly Twitter, after the show to express their praise and support.

“I enjoyed Lamar’s halftime show. The political aspects were a powerful way of calling out the government. If viewers really did not like the message, they could have just chosen to not watch it,” Freshman Sieun Bok said.

Lamar is known for socially conscious lyrics, such as his 2016 Grammy performance that was meant to critique mass Black incarceration, according to The Atlantic. In a similar way, his Super Bowl performance took on a double meaning from the beginning with actor Samuel L. Jackson introducing himself as Uncle Sam, the personification of the U.S. government.

Jackson implied that the halftime show was a cultural game in which he was the emcee. He returned after Lamar’s performance of “squabble up,” critiquing the song as “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto” to allude to the censorship of Black artists. In rebellion, Lamar launched into his most popular and confrontational hits “HUMBLE.” and “DNA.,” standing between dancers who formed a broken American flag to represent the nation’s racial and political divisions. He then played “euphoria,” “man at the garden” and “peekaboo” before bringing Grammy-winning Rhythm and Blues artist Solána Imani Rowe, or SZA, on to the stage.

Together, Lamar and SZA performed “luther” and “All The Stars,” showcasing a more calm and mellow side. Uncle Sam returned, exclaiming that America appreciated this subdued version of the show. Following this was Lamar’s wildly popular “Not Like Us”: a diss track directed towards Canadian rapper Aubrey Graham, better known as Drake. The rappers’ feud dates back to 2013, but escalated in 2024 with the release of “Not Like Us” where Lamar accused Drake of pedophilia.

“Not Like Us” was met with thundering applause from the audience, and featured a cameo of Serena Williams crip walking—the signature dance move of the Crips, a gang based in Lamar and Williams’s hometown of Compton, Los Angeles. This may have been hinting at the backlash she received for doing the dance in the 2012 London Olympics after she was accused of glamorizing gang violence, stated Cultura Colectiva. Lamar ended with “tv off,” bringing producer Mustard to the field.

“My favorite part was SZA’s rendition of ‘All The Stars,’ though the entire setlist was top-tier. It felt like a wake-up call—more political, cultural and personal than past halftime shows,” Junior Ava Chen said.

NPR says this performance has changed the rules of halftime shows, making them a platform for more than just entertainment. Regardless of controversy, Super Bowl LIX’s halftime show will likely be remembered as an unforgettable and bold performance by many.

About the Contributors

Chelsea Lu

staff writer

Chelsea Lu is a staff writer and this is her first year in Journalism. She loves hanging out with friends, building legos, and rotting in bed. She also loves writing stories.