By Maria Sherman
“Salutations!”, actor Samuel L. Jackson, who dressed Uncle Sam, introduced Kendrick Lamar at the Caesar Superdome in New Orleans at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The coveted slot.
As if they questioned the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper’s ability to show off his show.
He started with “GNX” moving to “Squabble Up.” During a halftime show sponsored by Apple Music and Roc Nation, Lamar led the field.
Lamar has joined the dancers in red, white and blue clothing. But even their patriotic colours, they were labelled “loud, too reckless, too ghetto” by Jackson’s Uncle Sam. He then began “Humiliation”, “DNA”, “Euphoria”, “Man at the Garden”.
“Scorekeeper, deduct one life,” Jackson once again interrupted. Lamar started “Peakboo” and teased the performance “Not like us.”
“I want to play their favorite songs, but they love to sue,” Lamar told the female dancer behind him, referring to Drake.
It’s difficult to emphasize the ubiquitousness of “not like us.” With Spotify having a billion streams, the massive hit is Los Angeles’ regional anthem, a rallying cry for vultures of community and culture, and a diss track that won the Lamar – Singing at the Grammy Awards last weekend and announced that Drake and Truck, who won Record of the Year.
It was a legitimate question that fans and critics have as well, whether Lamar plays the song or not. Lamar levels strong accusations against Drake in his lyrics. Drake sued the Universal Music Group for honor loss as a result of the song’s popularity. Will Super Bowl performances become even more complicated?
There was no prior knowledge of Lamar’s halftime performance. Lamar promised to maintain his passion for storytelling at the forefront of his plans, and SZA was a previously announced guest performer. They are frequently collaborators. She recently appeared on his recent album, GNX, and was featured in several songs, including “Gloria” and “Luther.” The duo will also jointly headline North American tours of 19 cities this spring and summer.
SZA appeared on the stages of “Luther” and “All Stars.”
“That’s what America wants – it’s wonderful and calm,” Jackson said.
And like clockwork: Lamar was launched into “I Don’t Like Us” – removing the word “pedophile” in its lyrics to “TV off.”
Is there any better advertising than the biggest stages of sports in the US? This should take into consideration another step in Lamar’s ongoing victory lap.
He also previously performed in the NFL Championship Games as a guest artist in 2022 and Dr. Along with Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Eminem, he was previously no stranger to the Super Bowl stage.
“Rap music is the most impactful genre ever,” Lamar said in a September statement, first announced as a 2025 halftime performer. “And I’m there to remind the world why. They got the right thing.”
Don’t get it wrong – that’s exactly what he did on a Sunday night.
Original issue: February 9, 2025, 8:53pm EST
