At the LIX Super Bowl, Kendrick Lamar, the MVP of the rap industry took center stage for this year’s halftime show. The powerful and commanding set, songs, choreography, and symbols elevated the show immensely, creating so much more than just a halftime show. Lamar is the first hip-hop artist to headline the coveted position, once again making history and strides in pop culture.
Lamar’s newfound trademark, a Buick GNX was mounted on the stage where dozens of dancers dressed in red, white, and blue emerged. Despite the patriotic symbolism, the dancers were described as “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” by Uncle Sam, depicted by actor Samuel L. Jackson. Lamar’s hit, “squabble up” opened the show with a bang, hyping up the entirety of Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Dressed in a bomber jacket, bell bottoms, and backwards cap, Lamar’s halftime performance surely went down as the most casual. However, his utilization of storytelling, carefully crafted setlist, and American symbols all collaborate to speak louder on the black experience and their expressions of creativity.
Although he performed hits like “HUMBLE.” and “All the Stars” featuring SZA, everyone was waiting for Lamar’s diss on Drake with “Not Like Us”. He teased it repeatedly with the back track and snickering with his dancers, “I wanna play their favorite song but you know they love to sue.” After public deliberation of whether Lamar should perform this harsh blow to Drake, Lamar launched “Not Like Us”. Tennis player Serena Williams and producer Mustard were seen dancing and crip walking to the diss track. It was a party for Kendrick and his community, certainly boosting the energy of the crows. He cut off the song before “pedophile” into his iconic closing with “tv off”.
Junior Katalyne Hean admits, “It was okay.” This is the conclusion of many watchers, coining his live performance abilities as very different from the studio. “I wish he would’ve played older songs, instead of the ones from GNX. I liked his political symbolism, it definitely wasn’t just a random halftime show,” concludes Hean.
