If the only takeaway you got from Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance was that he gave another deathblow to Drake’s career – I’ll need you to watch it again. And probably again after that.
While there were shots fired at the Canadian rapper throughout the 13-minute set (slow clap to the surprise appearance of his ex Serena Williams crip walking to “Not Like Us”), the performance was an artistic statement about the current state of America as President Donald Trump (presumably) watched live.
Having legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam narrating the show (and serving as Lamar’s subconsciousness) was intentional. Having an all Black cast of dancers and performers dressed in red, white, and blue was also intentional.
K-Dot’s performance was just as much of an indictment on Drake as it was on Trump’s America and the fact that not enough people are standing up against it. During his set, parts of the Super Bowl crowd were lit up to formulate the sentence “WARNING WRONG WAY” – a symbolic message of where our nation is currently headed.
In another sequence, the wide gap in between his background dancers (all dressed in either red, white, or blue jumpsuits) forming a disjointed American flag clearly implied a divided country.
All of this after the NFL itself decided to drop their “End Racism” banner on their end zones isn’t a coincidence.
Those who have been fans of Kendrick long before the summer of 2024 know that political messaging is a part of his aesthetic. Whether subtle as in some of his visuals during Sunday’s performance or as blatant as the lyrics of his hit track “Alright” (which was unfortunately omitted from the set), there’s always a reason for the season with his art.
During a time when companies, brands, and certain celebrities are scaling back from addressing the fraught times we’re in – Kendrick’s performance suggests that he’s choosing to double down instead. And while there’s been some critics online who argue that he coulda-shoulda done more in his performance – I would ask them to take that energy up with their respective elected officials.
Kendrick is a celebrity who gave us a music set that entertained, enlightened and engaged millions of Americans with a bold showcase that some – including the President of the United States – was forced to reckon with in ways they wouldn’t have otherwise.
For that act alone, the performance was not only a big moment for hip-hop, but for our current cultural zeitgeist. The greatest rapper of our generation did it all: He put the nail in the coffin of an industry heavyweight and more importantly reminded the rest of America that the bigots currently occupying the White House are not like us.
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Ernest Owens is an award-winning journalist and author of “The Case for Cancel Culture.” You can check him out at ernestowens.com.