Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show was a rollercoaster of tension and triumph, blending hit songs, subtle jabs, and social commentary into an unforgettable performance.
Just a couple of minutes into his set, Lamar teased the crowd: “I want to play their favorite song… but you know they love to sue.” The reference was obvious.
His fiery diss track Not Like Us—which took direct aim at fellow rapper Drake—was the elephant in the room.
The song, with its biting lyrics accusing Drake of predatory behavior (which Drake denies), had racked up a billion streams and swept the 2024 Grammys with five wins, including Song of the Year.
But it also sparked a legal battle, with Drake filing a defamation lawsuit against Lamar.
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The Moment Everyone Was Waiting For
Lamar leaned into the controversy, teasing Not Like Us multiple times throughout his set.
When he finally delivered the track, he self-censored the most inflammatory lyric, replacing the line where he calls Drake a “certified pedophile.”
Still, he locked eyes with the camera and cheekily said Drake’s name, leaving the notorious double entendre—“Tryin’ to strike a chord and it’s probably A minor”—completely intact.
The roar from the 120 million viewers watching at home was deafening, and the lyrics echoed around Louisiana’s Caesars Superdome.
Not even legal threats could diminish the cultural impact of the song.
A Show Full of Surprises
Adding to the spectacle, tennis icon Serena Williams made a surprise appearance on stage, joining Lamar in the Crip Walk, a dance rooted in Los Angeles street culture.
Actor Samuel L. Jackson also played a pivotal role, acting as a humorous emcee, toggling between praise and playful scolding.
“That’s what America wants—nice and calm,” Jackson quipped after Lamar and R&B star SZA performed All The Stars from Black Panther.
At one point, Jackson jokingly warned Lamar to “keep it light,” but Lamar was far from interested in compromise.
“The revolution about to be televised,” Lamar declared early in his set. “They picked the right time, but the wrong guy.”
A Power-Packed Playlist
Lamar’s performance struck a balance between introspective tracks and crowd-pleasers.
He opened with hard-hitting songs like HUMBLE and DNA from his Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN, while cleverly staging himself on a giant noughts and crosses board.
Introspective tracks played within the Xs, while high-energy anthems unfolded in the Os.
He later performed TV Off, a West Coast banger, alongside producer Mustard, and even dropped hints of the unreleased track Bodies.
SZA’s vocal elegance and fluid choreography added a softer touch, contrasting Lamar’s raw intensity.
Ending on Controversy
Despite the show’s success, it didn’t come without surprises.
As Lamar wrapped up his 13-minute set, a protester climbed onto a black Buick GNX on stage and unfurled a combined Palestinian and Sudanese flag before security tackled him.
The NFL later confirmed the protester was part of the 400-member cast involved in the show.
Interestingly, Lamar chose to leave out Alright, a civil rights anthem that became a rallying cry during the Black Lives Matter movement.
The omission raised eyebrows, especially in a year when the NFL quietly removed the “End Racism” message from the end zone—a slogan that had been there since 2020.
A Subtle but Powerful Statement
In true Kendrick fashion, his Super Bowl show was more about subtext than spectacle.
While some viewers might have hoped for a more overt political statement, his layered performance made its mark—especially with its playful yet pointed jabs at Drake.
For fans, it was a masterclass in pushing boundaries while keeping the mainstream hooked. And for Kendrick Lamar, it was proof that, even under the brightest lights, he remains untouchable.
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