Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime performance has left a lasting impact on audiences since the big game, myself included. The performance featured amazing choreography, vocals, scenery and costumes. Yet, the production quality has been overlooked by media coverage, with the finer details and storytelling itself making much larger waves.
Lamar is iconically known for his bold actions within the entertainment industry. Throughout his career, he has made masterful strides confronting both industry higher-ups and controversial American politicians. This performance was no exception and exemplified his ability to critique and thrive within the same corrupt system.
According to Billboard, Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl Halftime had 133.5 million viewers, drawing a larger audience than the Super Bowl itself. Each year, the halftime performances increase in popularity and viewers. Lamar brilliantly used this opportunity to publicly express his feelings on a large scale of different matters.
On the smaller, less contentious end of this spectrum would be Lamar’s ongoing drama with rapper Drake. To recap, the origins of their feud date back to 2013 but resurfaced when Drake and rapper J. Cole claimed that Cole, Drake and Lamar were the “big three” of modern hip-hop. Lamar responded in March 2024, claiming that hip-hop is “just big me”. The drama continued through releases of multiple diss tracks on both ends. During this feud, Lamar released “Not Like Us,” accusing Drake of pedophilia, which Drake responded with “The Heart Part 6,” denying Lamar’s accusations.
Lamar has now self-proclaimed himself as the victor. He won five Grammys at the 2025 Award show, including “record of the year” and “song of the year,” for “Not Like Us.” Just the week following, he performed the track on one of the most widely-watched shows.
For the halftime show, Lamar did not only diss Drake through his song lyrics. The performance featured famous singer SZA, one of Drake’s ex-girlfriends. Tennis star Serena Williams, another one of Drake’s exes, also made an appearance. Lamar’s lowercase “a” chain was also speculated to be in reference to “a minor,” a quote from “Not Like Us.” One of the most stand-out moments was when Lamar looked directly into the camera and stated, “Say Drake, I hear you like em’ young.”
It is clear that Lamar is ground-breakingly petty. The Drake drama only scratches the surface of his spiteful nature. While not everyone agrees with Lamar’s attitude, it was beyond necessary when addressing what the performance ultimately became: a message on the socio-political climate of the United States and entertainment industry.
The show opened with Samuel L. Jackson playing Uncle Sam, a physical embodiment of the government. Representative of the government’s history of silencing Black artists, Uncle Sam attempts to tame Lamar throughout the show, advising him against acting “ghetto,” or to be “humble.” Lamar responds through aggressive explosions of music, fighting back against the oppression of Black voices. In the media, influencers are expected to pursue advocacy. Yet, when the Black community advocates for itself, it is labeled as an aggression or threat. Black artists are expected to behave calmly, rather than unapologetic and disruptive, which Lamar is illustrating here.
This exemplifies that the system cannot control Kendrick Lamar. The set was a game station console, and moved as if Lamar was playing “the game,” referring to the industry. Black expression is often policed and commodified. As a Black artist, Lamar exists within the conditions that he must be successful but not too successful, and speak out but not too loud. He must play the game, and not challenge it. This is corrupt. Black culture has been the source of many major movements in the entertainment industry. Yet, many industry executives still believe that authentically portrayed Black culture must be watered down or controlled to be more digestible for mainstream audiences.
These themes are emphasized through every single detail. One would be Serena Williams “crip walking,” after being heavily criticized for doing so during the London 2012 Olympics. Another could be Lamar standing in the middle of the American flag formation, representing a divided America. Even the continuation of the battle between Drake and Lamar ultimately represents an important difference in ideologies – Drake is playing the game that Lamar questions.
Lamar stated, “The revolution is about to be televised, you pick the right time but the wrong guy,” referencing a Scott-Heron poem on the media’s relationship to the reality of change. This masterful line captures the essence of this performance incredibly, commenting on exploitation in the media and the United States government. When the halftime show was finished, Lamar stated “TV off,” leaving audiences on the note that entertainment can be a distraction from important issues.
Kendrick Lamar culturally shocked halftime show audiences with a multi-layered and genius wakeup-call.
