The Super Bowl LIX halftime show was taken over by Kendrick Lamar, who stole the stage in the New Orleans Caesars Superdome with a thrilling musical performance.
At the age of 37, Kendrick Lamar was one of the top lyricists of his time, and he gave a performance that was both artistic and subtle despite his dispute with Drake.
Lamar opened his set atop a classic Buick Grand National GNX, referencing his latest album, “GNX,” in a visually striking scene.
During his performance, the theater used symbolism as a series of dancing performers waved as a wave of an American flag.
Lamar’s artistic choices became more poignant as former President Donald Trump attended the show.
Before Lamar reached the crowd, he launched into a medley of his most iconic hits, including “Squabble Up,” “Humble,” and “DNA,” as the crowd roared in anticipation.
Lamar performed his intricate rhymes with surgical precision and delivered his performance with his unmissable raw intensity in front of an audience.
All fans in the stand and viewers at home paid full attention to his careful performance of songs from his repertoire.
R&B sensation SZA joined Lamar on stage halfway through the performance of “Luther” and “All the Stars,” for an unforgettable moment.
When her flute-like vocals matched Lamar’s lightning-quick delivery rhythm, the track got a hypnotic atmosphere.
More surprises were provided during the concert when Lamar shared the stage with tennis star Serena Williams, who showed her dance moves.
Lamar has always been a role model for Black excellence, and Williams joined him on stage during his performance because she is from the same Compton neighborhood as Lamar.
Along with celebrity appearances, Lamar’s performance featured multiple significant messages to show his purpose of starting important discussions through his platform.
Dancers took to the stage with sashes that bore different labels: “too loud,” “too reckless,” “too ghetto,” seeming to comment on how Black artists are often designated in society.
Hollywood veteran Samuel L. Jackson played Uncle Sam who spoke parts of the show with language that suggested industry pressure to conform.
When it came to the moment everyone was waiting for, Kendrick Lamar performed his explosive diss track “Not Like Us” as the performance reached its climax.
Lamar’s inclusion of his song ‘Not Like Us’ in the show’s final performance sequence confirmed to fans that he would confront Drake on the full scale of the dispute.
What left fans and critics buzzing, however, was that, in a deliberate move, Lamar skipped one of the track’s most controversial lyrics, calling Drake a ‘certified pedophile.’
It was the crucial moment when Lamar stopped delivering the explicit lyric, allowing the audience to fill in the blanks – which he later withheld.
Drake chose to censor his statement during the performance because he filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over song lyrics.
While the lawsuit does not name Kendrick, Drake alleges in the lawsuit that the claims in “Not Like Us” are false and harmful to his career.
A spokesperson for Universal, which has served as Drake’s record label for more than a decade, responded, saying: “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist—let alone Drake—is illogical.”
However, the legal dispute with Lamar’s halftime show performance turned into a career milestone as it showcased his talent to control the audience as well as his creative integrity.
Thus, the rivalry between the two rappers continued even after the game was over, as his decision to skip the disputed line in his performance fed into more arguments between fans about which rapper was superior.
