KENDRICK LAMAR KILLS IT
BY DIVY BOSE PHOTO BY PROVIDED
Kendrick Lamar played “The Great American Game” during his Super Bowl halftime performance and won his fans over.
He opened with a snippet of “GNX,” released last November, to introduce the Buick GNX he was standing on throughout the performance.
“The Revolution ‘bout to be televised you picked the right time but the wrong guy,”
Lamar said, hinting at the 2024 election results.
Dancers hopped out of the clown car model covered in red white and blue during “GNX” to perform Lamar's song “squabble up,” until Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, interrupted the performance.
“Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” Jackson said, symbolizing the interpretation of Blackness in America. As Jackson shouted these words, he showed how despite race, many citizens are a part of America’s domain, which neglects the Black community’s cultural significance.
After Uncle Sam yelled at Lamar to “tighten up,” Lamar transitioned to his song “Humble” as the dancers formed an American flag with their jacket colors. All of these dancers were Black, exemplifying that Black people helped build America’s legacy.
The performance transitioned to another hit song “DNA.” This was followed by “Man at the Garden” from his “GNX” album, as he and the dancers were shown hanging out by a street corner. Uncle Sam then ordered the scorekeeper to “deduct one life” because Lamar is using a “culture cheat code” that doesn’t play by his rules.
Along with symbolic imagery, Lamar brings out special guests such as female singer SZA who performed “luther” and “All the Stars” with him. Before they performed, Lamar hinted that “he wanted to make a move” by performing his song “Not Like Us” from his feud with rapper Drake. Lamar finally performed the song after Uncle Sam told him it was not what America wanted.
Lamar wore an “a” chain, presumably referencing Aubrey, Drake’s first name, and directly stared at the camera as he said "say Drake," clearly targeting the rapper.
Along with the ongoing feud, Lamar brought out Drake’s ex-girlfriend, tennis champion Serena Williams. As a diss to Drake, Williams performed the crip walk, following his references to her in songs like “Worst Behavior” and “Middle of the Ocean.”
Lamar also brought out his producer, Mustard, during the final song. Lamar and his dancers reassembled and then split down the middle, symbolizing his message about the political division in the U.S., as he shouted “turn this TV off.”
“Listeners to not just be passive consumers but to play an active role in shaping the future of culture, politics, and beyond,” according to Time magazine.
As Lamar exited the stage, lights in the audience wrote “GAME OVER” to exclaim that he officially won the feud with Drake. He initiated not only a performance but a protest that millions of Americans had the opportunity to interpret.
