By Trey Alessio
Kendrick Lamar performed during the Super Bowl LIX Apple Music Halftime Show and stirred up a lot of conversation amongst the American viewing audience. As a Kendrick fan, I may be a little biased about this performance, but everything he does is so intentional and begs to be analyzed, so I feel compelled to dive deeper into his Super Bowl performance.
(Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDorKy-13ak)
On the surface, Kendrick’s performance may be perceived as a final nail in the coffin in the scope of the ongoing rap beef with Drake, and while it’s definitely a part of it, I believe it’s a microcosm for something bigger that Kendrick is trying to convey.
(Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDorKy-13ak)
On the surface, Kendrick’s performance may be perceived as a final nail in the coffin in the scope of the ongoing rap beef with Drake, and while it’s definitely a part of it, I believe it’s a microcosm for something bigger that Kendrick is trying to convey.
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
For background reference and for those who may not be familiar with this rap beef between Kendrick and Drake, it’s been brewing for years with subtle jabs at each other dating all the way back to 2011, but the core rap beef between the two started with Drake’s song “First Person Shooter” from his 2023 album For All the Dogs. J. Cole, another one of hip-hop’s giants, who also toured with Drake in 2024, was featured on this song and began with the line, “Me and Drizzy, this shit like the Super Bowl.” Drake doubles down on the chorus of the song by saying, “Big as the what? Big as the what? Big as the Super Bowl.” Cole also raps, “Love when they argue the hardest MC. Is K-Dot [Kendrick]? Is it Aubrey [Drake]? Or me? We the big three like we started a league.” Then, in March of 2024, Kendrick sent the hip-hop community into a frenzy with a surprise-feature on the song “Like That” from Future and Metro Boomin’s joint album We Don’t Trust You, which is also a subtle jab at Drake on an overarching level. On “Like That,” Kendrick raps, “Motherfuck the big three. ***** it’s just big me.” In this context, Kendrick is basically telling Drake and Cole that they’re essentially not in the same league as him while simultaneously claiming his spot as the top dog in hip-hop. At this point, this rekindled beef between Kendrick and Drake seemed to mostly be competitive in nature, which is something the hip-hop community promotes and endorses.
Kendrick and Drake spent the spring and summer of 2024 trading diss tracks. The final round included Kendrick releasing “Not Like Us,” and Drake responding with “The Heart Part 6.” The latter was met with harsh criticism while the former was met with massive praise, so Kendrick was deemed the winner within the hip-hop community and the back-and-forth essentially fizzled out.
Kendrick and Drake spent the spring and summer of 2024 trading diss tracks. The final round included Kendrick releasing “Not Like Us,” and Drake responding with “The Heart Part 6.” The latter was met with harsh criticism while the former was met with massive praise, so Kendrick was deemed the winner within the hip-hop community and the back-and-forth essentially fizzled out.
Fast forward to November 22, 2024. Kendrick released a surprise-album called GNX, which was also met with critical acclaim and popular demand. While there were some subtle hints toward the rap beef with Drake, GNX was mostly a fun ode to LA and its west coast sound that proved to be popular on “Not Like Us.” In the midst of this rollout, the NFL also announced that Kendrick Lamar would be the performer at the Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans. Of course, in the scope of the rap beef, Kendrick got the last laugh by going full-circle from the “big as the Super Bowl” line on the song that sparked all of this back-and-forth to actually being the one who would perform at the Super Bowl.
That leads us to Kendrick’s performance at the Super Bowl, which focused mainly on rap. The setlist only included two melodic songs with the help of SZA, so it’s evident that Kendrick wanted to showcase hip-hop without any of the fluff. So, for the people who were upset that Kendrick didn’t perform the hits, I would say that choice was absolutely intentional. I’m not going to break down the entire performance song-by-song, but I want to focus on some of the key elements.
That leads us to Kendrick’s performance at the Super Bowl, which focused mainly on rap. The setlist only included two melodic songs with the help of SZA, so it’s evident that Kendrick wanted to showcase hip-hop without any of the fluff. So, for the people who were upset that Kendrick didn’t perform the hits, I would say that choice was absolutely intentional. I’m not going to break down the entire performance song-by-song, but I want to focus on some of the key elements.
SOURCE: Entertainment Weekly
I think an important piece to this is “the game” and all of what that entails. The first images we see are icons that appear to be from a Playstation gaming controller. We also hear Samuel L. Jackson open up the show by saying, “Salutations. It’s your Uncle Sam, and this is the great American game!” He’s wearing a red, white and blue top hat and a blue coat with 16 white stars, which could be an easter egg and a callback to Kendrick’s song “Wacced Out Murals” from GNX where he raps, “I done lost plenty friends. 16 to be specific.” Kendrick goes on to perform an unreleased song from the GNX teaser and the song “Squabble Up.” The latter is a song that is rowdy and hard-hitting in nature, so people who aren’t fans of this kind of hip-hop may have instantly chalked this performance up to not meeting the perceived American standards for a Super Bowl halftime show. After “Squabble Up,” Jackson’s Uncle Sam says, “no, no, no, no! Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto! Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!”
Kendrick responds to this by playing the song “HUMBLE” from the album DAMN. With this song coming after Uncle Sam saying Kendrick’s performance is “too ghetto,” Kendrick could be responding to the Americans who follow that same belief by telling them to “be humble.” At this point, it appears Kendrick isn’t going to play “the game” the way the average NFL viewer would expect him to.
A little later in the performance, Kendrick goes on to perform “Man at the Garden” from GNX with a backup choir of sorts made up of black men wearing white shirts and jeans. After this song, Uncle Sam says, “I see you brought your homeboys with you. The old culture cheat code.” He then looks into the camera and says, “Scorekeeper, deduct one life.” While this line plays into the element of losing a life in a video game and how that could parallel “the great American game,” this could also be a visual representation of Kendrick’s friends from his old neighborhood. In that context, when Uncle Sam says, “deduct one life,” it almost feels as if this is Kendrick’s subtle albeit dark way of acknowledging how easy it is for life to be taken away where he comes from.
Kendrick responds to this by playing the song “HUMBLE” from the album DAMN. With this song coming after Uncle Sam saying Kendrick’s performance is “too ghetto,” Kendrick could be responding to the Americans who follow that same belief by telling them to “be humble.” At this point, it appears Kendrick isn’t going to play “the game” the way the average NFL viewer would expect him to.
A little later in the performance, Kendrick goes on to perform “Man at the Garden” from GNX with a backup choir of sorts made up of black men wearing white shirts and jeans. After this song, Uncle Sam says, “I see you brought your homeboys with you. The old culture cheat code.” He then looks into the camera and says, “Scorekeeper, deduct one life.” While this line plays into the element of losing a life in a video game and how that could parallel “the great American game,” this could also be a visual representation of Kendrick’s friends from his old neighborhood. In that context, when Uncle Sam says, “deduct one life,” it almost feels as if this is Kendrick’s subtle albeit dark way of acknowledging how easy it is for life to be taken away where he comes from.
SOURCE: People
After Kendrick taps SZA and goes on to play much smoother songs like “Luther” from GNX and “All the Stars” from the Black Panther soundtrack, Uncle Sam says, “Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what America wants–nice, calm. You’re almost there. Don’t mess this up!” Again, this could be Kendrick’s tongue-in-cheek way of responding to the Americans who blindly dislike rap music because it may not be “nice” or “calm.” After this, “Not Like Us,” a song that definitely isn’t “nice” or “calm,” starts to play again and Uncle Sam rolls his eyes and walks away. But before Kendrick gets into “Not Like Us,” he says something I believe is very important in the context of this performance.
Kendrick says, “There’s a cultural divide; I’ma get it on the floor.” The female vocalists ask, “you’re really ‘bout to do it?” as the “Not Like Us” beat continues. Kendrick then says, “40 acres and a mule; this is bigger than the music.” Again, the female vocalists ask, “you’re really ‘bout to do it?” as the “Not Like Us” beat plays again. Kendrick says, “They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.” The female vocalists then say, “Then get on it like that,” and Kendrick finally proceeds to perform “Not Like Us” followed by “TV Off” from GNX.
Now, while it’s easy to get caught up in the rap beef with Drake, especially when Kendrick looks directly at the camera when he name-drops him, I believe this performance, its message and really the entire beef in general are a part of a bigger conversation Kendrick is trying to have with us. I want to focus on the words “there’s a cultural divide.” In doing so, I want to look back at some overarching messages I believe were lost within some of the diss tracks in the midst of the rap beef with Drake.
Kendrick says, “There’s a cultural divide; I’ma get it on the floor.” The female vocalists ask, “you’re really ‘bout to do it?” as the “Not Like Us” beat continues. Kendrick then says, “40 acres and a mule; this is bigger than the music.” Again, the female vocalists ask, “you’re really ‘bout to do it?” as the “Not Like Us” beat plays again. Kendrick says, “They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.” The female vocalists then say, “Then get on it like that,” and Kendrick finally proceeds to perform “Not Like Us” followed by “TV Off” from GNX.
Now, while it’s easy to get caught up in the rap beef with Drake, especially when Kendrick looks directly at the camera when he name-drops him, I believe this performance, its message and really the entire beef in general are a part of a bigger conversation Kendrick is trying to have with us. I want to focus on the words “there’s a cultural divide.” In doing so, I want to look back at some overarching messages I believe were lost within some of the diss tracks in the midst of the rap beef with Drake.
Let’s start with “Euphoria,” which was Kendrick’s response to Drake’s back-to-back diss tracks “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle,” the latter in which Drake used AI to rap from the perspective of Tupac and Snoop Dogg without proper permission. While Kendrick is responding to multiple things Drake said on these other tracks in the spirit of a competitive rivalry, he’s subtly questioning Drake’s status within “the game” of hip-hop as well as the black community. On “Euphoria,” Kendrick raps to Drake, “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk. I hate the way that you dress. I hate the way that you sneak diss. If I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct. We hate the bitches you fuck ‘cause they confuse themself with real women. And notice I said ‘we,’ it’s not just me, I’m what the culture feeling. How many more black features ‘til you finally feel that you’re black enough? I like Drake with the melodies. I don’t like Drake when he act tough.” Kendrick is essentially calling Drake out for being a “culture vulture” or somebody who appropriates on black culture, thus questioning Drake’s place in hip-hop altogether.
Let’s also look at the third verse of “Not Like Us,” which was a part of Kendrick’s back-to-back response to Drake’s “Family Matters” track, coupled with the menacing “Meet the Graham’s” track. On “Not Like Us,” Kendrick raps, “Once upon a time, all of us was in chains. Homie still doubled down calling us some slaves. Atlanta was the mecca, building railroads and trains. Bear with me for a second, let me put ya’ll on game. The settlers was using townfolk to make ‘em richer. Fast forward, 2024, you got the same agenda. You run to Atlanta when you need a check balance. Let me break it down for you, this the real ***** challenge. You called Future when you didn’t see the club. Lil Baby helped you get your lingo up. 21 gave you false street cred. Thug made you feel like you a slime in your head. Quavo said you can be from Northside. 2 Chainz say you good, but he lied. You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars. No, you not a colleague, you a fucking colonizer. The family matter and the truth of the matter, it was God’s plan to show ya’ll the liar.”
There’s a lot to dissect here, but I’ll do my best to make it clear. Kendrick is essentially doubling down on the same message from “Euphoria.” I believe Kendrick is saying that Drake isn’t a colleague within “the game” of hip-hop but rather a colonizer because he essentially appropriates hip-hop and black culture. Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Quavo and 2 Chainz are all black rappers from Atlanta, and I believe Kendrick is saying Drake uses these rappers and their blackness in order to stand on their shoulders and further his appropriating agenda. Fast forward to the Super Bowl halftime performance. When Samuel L. Jackson’s Uncle Sam character continues to refer to “the game,” he not only means the football game on TV, he also means “the game” of hip-hop and furthermore the black community. I think Kendrick is using the beef with Drake–somebody he doesn’t believe is worthy to be a part of these communities–as a microcosm to essentially draw a line in the sand. I believe Kendrick is essentially saying, “you’re either with the culture or you’re against it.” With him being center-stage of the Super Bowl’s first solo hip-hop act for its halftime performance, Kendrick is taking it upon himself to draw this line in the sand. I think this is apparent when Kendrick says, “the revolution’s about to be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy,” in his performance. I took that line almost as if Kendrick was assuming the role of the Joker in The Dark Knight–somebody who “can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” In this context, “the world” is this “game” of hip-hop and furthermore the popular culture surrounding the genre. I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up Kendrick’s untitled Instagram-song that he released on September 11, 2024. He raps, “I think it’s time to watch the party die.” To me, it feels like Kendrick is willing to burn down the genre of hip-hop to wither out colonizers like Drake in order to build anew and bring “the game” back to its original roots where rapping is at the center. Like Kendrick said in his Super Bowl performance, “There’s a cultural divide; I’ma get it on the floor. 40 acres and a mule; this is bigger than the music. They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.”
“40 acres and a mule” was in reference to a promise of land and resources given to black Americans after the Civil War in terms of reparations after slavery was abolished. That promise was ultimately broken, but it feels like this performance was Kendrick’s way of taking back what is rightfully his, and in larger part, the culture’s because, with this show, Kendrick earned the most watched Super Bowl halftime performance in its history. I believe this is Kendrick putting black culture and hip-hop at the forefront. “There’s a cultural divide; I’ma get it on the floor. 40 acres and a mule; this is bigger than the music. They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.”
Kendrick's influence can't be ignored and ultimately begs the question, "Are you with the culture or against it?"
Let’s also look at the third verse of “Not Like Us,” which was a part of Kendrick’s back-to-back response to Drake’s “Family Matters” track, coupled with the menacing “Meet the Graham’s” track. On “Not Like Us,” Kendrick raps, “Once upon a time, all of us was in chains. Homie still doubled down calling us some slaves. Atlanta was the mecca, building railroads and trains. Bear with me for a second, let me put ya’ll on game. The settlers was using townfolk to make ‘em richer. Fast forward, 2024, you got the same agenda. You run to Atlanta when you need a check balance. Let me break it down for you, this the real ***** challenge. You called Future when you didn’t see the club. Lil Baby helped you get your lingo up. 21 gave you false street cred. Thug made you feel like you a slime in your head. Quavo said you can be from Northside. 2 Chainz say you good, but he lied. You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars. No, you not a colleague, you a fucking colonizer. The family matter and the truth of the matter, it was God’s plan to show ya’ll the liar.”
There’s a lot to dissect here, but I’ll do my best to make it clear. Kendrick is essentially doubling down on the same message from “Euphoria.” I believe Kendrick is saying that Drake isn’t a colleague within “the game” of hip-hop but rather a colonizer because he essentially appropriates hip-hop and black culture. Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Quavo and 2 Chainz are all black rappers from Atlanta, and I believe Kendrick is saying Drake uses these rappers and their blackness in order to stand on their shoulders and further his appropriating agenda. Fast forward to the Super Bowl halftime performance. When Samuel L. Jackson’s Uncle Sam character continues to refer to “the game,” he not only means the football game on TV, he also means “the game” of hip-hop and furthermore the black community. I think Kendrick is using the beef with Drake–somebody he doesn’t believe is worthy to be a part of these communities–as a microcosm to essentially draw a line in the sand. I believe Kendrick is essentially saying, “you’re either with the culture or you’re against it.” With him being center-stage of the Super Bowl’s first solo hip-hop act for its halftime performance, Kendrick is taking it upon himself to draw this line in the sand. I think this is apparent when Kendrick says, “the revolution’s about to be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy,” in his performance. I took that line almost as if Kendrick was assuming the role of the Joker in The Dark Knight–somebody who “can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” In this context, “the world” is this “game” of hip-hop and furthermore the popular culture surrounding the genre. I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up Kendrick’s untitled Instagram-song that he released on September 11, 2024. He raps, “I think it’s time to watch the party die.” To me, it feels like Kendrick is willing to burn down the genre of hip-hop to wither out colonizers like Drake in order to build anew and bring “the game” back to its original roots where rapping is at the center. Like Kendrick said in his Super Bowl performance, “There’s a cultural divide; I’ma get it on the floor. 40 acres and a mule; this is bigger than the music. They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.”
“40 acres and a mule” was in reference to a promise of land and resources given to black Americans after the Civil War in terms of reparations after slavery was abolished. That promise was ultimately broken, but it feels like this performance was Kendrick’s way of taking back what is rightfully his, and in larger part, the culture’s because, with this show, Kendrick earned the most watched Super Bowl halftime performance in its history. I believe this is Kendrick putting black culture and hip-hop at the forefront. “There’s a cultural divide; I’ma get it on the floor. 40 acres and a mule; this is bigger than the music. They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.”
Kendrick's influence can't be ignored and ultimately begs the question, "Are you with the culture or against it?"
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