Kendrick Lamar Highlights African American Culture At Super Bowl Halftime Performance

Photo Credit: Frank Franklin/Associated Press

On Feb. 9, the Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles at the NFL Super Bowl. This year, the halftime show featured American rapper and 22-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar. The performance drew 133 million viewers, making it the most-watched halftime show in history. 

Lamar took a symbolic approach to the halftime show. Actor Samuel Jackson appeared on stage dressed as Uncle Sam, a figure that represents the American government. Jackson began the show by saying, “This is the great American game,” which was the kickoff for the performance.

Lamar included many symbols in his performance, which included comments such as “40 acres and a Mule this is bigger than the music.” According to the New York Times and the Signal, this was a reference to Field Order No. 15, which promised 40 acres of land and a mule to previously enslaved Black families.

Lamar added during his performance that “the revolution is about to be televised; you picked the right time but the wrong guy.” According to the LA Times, this was referencing a 1971 poem by Gil Scott-Heron, titled “The Revolution Will Not be Televised,” which asserted that the revolution does not come from big corporations, but rather the change made by individuals.

The performance held many other references, many coming from “Uncle Sam,” when he would interrupt the show to critique Lamar saying things like, “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” and “Mr. Lamar, do you even know how to play the game?” Many say these quotes reference the harsh reality for the US African American community of being silenced and played down. Others say the latter was another blow at Drake for his more mainstream and less cultured music, compared to Lamar’s. The statement conveyed the idea that Drake plays the game well, however, Lamar does not agree with Drake’s representation of African American culture.

Lamar started the show by rapping his songs “Bodies” and “Squabble Up,” but was criticized by the character of Uncle Sam for not playing his most popular hits. He then moved on to his next sequence, where he playedd “Humble,”  “DNA,” and "Euphoria,” during which his dancers — who were all African American — created an image of an American flag. Next, Lamar played “Man at the Garden” and “Peekaboo,” while also hinting towards playing his recent hit, “Not Like Us,” before being critiqued by Uncle Sam again.

In response, Lamar then performed two big hits “Luther” and “All the Stars” with the show’s guest, SZA. Then came the climax, as Lamar segued into the most anticipated song of the night, “Not Like Us.” His performance was a direct blow at Drake, as Lamar looked straight at the camera while saying, “say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young.” Serena Williams was another guest star in the performance, and she crip walked during “Not Like Us.” According to The New York Times, the dance is her way of celebrating her roots in the city of Compton, California, where 14 per cent of residents are white. When Williams performed this dance at the 2012 Olympics, she was heavily criticized, but performing it at the Super Bowl added to Lamar’s message of black empowerment. After Williams’ feature, Lamar wrapped up the show with his song “tv off” and introduced his last guest star, DJ Mustard.