Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the SUper Bowl LIX halftime show confused older generations, amused younger ones, and included deeper messages that go beyond dissing Canadian rapper Drake.
While Lamar performed the song that blew up last year, “Not Like Us,” for dissing Drake and the allegations against him, Lama’s performance was a critique of cultural identity and society.
First, Lamar chose to perform on a stage resembling the game “tic-tac-toe” and had Samuel L. Jackson plays one of the most iconic figures in US history, Uncle Sam. Jackson spoke of the great American game, referring to football but also the games America plays with its citizens such as capitalism, politics and prison. Even though Uncle Sam was never a real person, Lamar faced criticism for having a black man play him.
One of the phrases Uncle Sam keeps repeating is “Too ghetto,” in a way to censor Lama’s performance and tell him that his performance is too loud and disruptive, which silences black voices.
Another symbolic moment featured Serena Williams crip walking to “Not LIke Us.” Williams is a Compton native and had been criticized for crip walking in the past. While many fans thought Lamar, including Williams was because she and Drake had dated in the past, her appearance was more than just to diss her ex, but to make a statement about the acceptance of black culture.
Even the car that Lamar stood on at the beginning of the performance, a 1987 Buick GNX, is a symbol of this moment in time of his career.
While social media extensively covered the Kendrick Lamar and Drake Feud, Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show was a layered presentation that offered much more than a diss on a fellow artist. It was a celebration of cultural heritage, a testament to artistic authenticity, and a call to address societal issues, solidifying its place as a landmark moment and the most watched halftime show in Super Bowl history.
