On Feb. 9, Kendrick Lamar took the stage during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show.
Less than a week after sweeping the Grammy Awards with five wins, including for Song of the Year and Record of the Year, Lamar delivered a once in a lifetime performance that shook the nation. Lamar is the first solo rapper to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. His performance featured several symbolic messages and metaphors that reflected the origins of the United States and, of course, a final diss to Drake with his performance of “Not Like Us.”
Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam
The performance opened with the iconic Samuel L. Jackson, strikingly dressed as Uncle Sam —- a powerful symbol of the United States government and a patriotic representation of the American people. His image was famously depicted in a well-known poster in which he points directly at the viewer alongside the words “I Want YOU.” The poster was used historically for United States military recruitment initiatives. But why is it such a big deal?
Jackson, a Black man, portraying one of the most well-recognized patriotic symbols of the United States is a message in itself. The characterization references one of Jackson’s infamous roles in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012). In the film, Jackson portrayed Stephen, an antagonistic house slave who is fiercely loyal to his monstrously racist owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). In the film, Jackson’s character believes in a hierarchical order in which white people hold dominant positions at the top. However, Jackson has long been involved in political activism in his personal life, even serving as an usher in Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral. Jackson’s character is there to remind Lamar of what is expected of not only him but the Black people of America.
American flag formation
The Uncle Sam character plays a vital role throughout the show, calling out to Lamar and his dancers during Lamar’s performance of “Squabble Up.” “Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” he says. Uncle Sam challenges the performance, telling the performers to fall in line with the status quo and suggesting the performance is not appropriate for the Super Bowl.
As Lamar performs “HUMBLE,” his backup dancers form a fragmented version of the American flag. This can also be interpreted as Jackson asserting the performers’ place, highlighting the culture of systemic racism within the United States. The red and blue bandanas may also reference the Bloods and the Crips and Lamar’s efforts to unite members of the rival Los Angeles gangs during his Pop Out show in June. During the show, held on Juneteenth — a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — Lamar brought members of both gangs on stage together during his performance.
Rather than submitting to Uncle Sam, Lamar continues on with the performance. Throughout the performance, the stage was a sea of red, white and blue, showcased in various forms, including his dancers dressed in these colours.
A call out to the revolution
“The revolution ‘bout to be televised … you got the right time but the wrong guy,” sang Lamar during the performance.
This line references Gil Scott-Heron’s Black liberation song, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” but also serves as a metaphor explaining the performance and Lamar’s role as an entertainer on a national stage. Many have theorized about the meaning and significance behind this moment, noting that President Donald Trump was in the audience. Some suggest it could be an ode to Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who famously took a knee during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.
The great American game
American football has often been referred to as the great American game. The opening of Lamar’s performance featured an array of flashing light sequences and formations that resembled a video game controller or a tic-tac-toe grid.
Jackson even opened the show by saying, “This is the great American game.”
The concept of a game could reference several themes, such as the nation’s rich history of slavery and colonialism, highlighting how the country was built by Black Americans. It could also allude to the systematic oppression notoriously faced by Black Americans throughout their lives as they attempt to navigate the “system” or the “game.” The performance included many references to the “game,” such as Uncle Sam asking Lamar if “he really knew how to play the game” after his performance of “Squabble Up.” Uncle Sam also references a “culture cheat code” after Lamar is shown standing with a group of Black men. Additionally, as Lamar continues his performance and repeatedly disobeys Uncle Sam, he calls out to the “scorekeeper” to “deduct one life.”
Serena Williams’s cameo
During the anticipated performance of “Not Like Us,” the infamous Drake diss track, tennis star Serena Williams made an appearance, crip walking across the stage. Both Lamar and Williams are from Compton in California, the state where the move originated from.
Williams’s dance also referenced the controversy that followed her gold medal victory over Maria Sharapova at the 2012 London Olympics, where she performed the crip walk dance — a dance associated with a Los Angeles street gang. Some argued it was inappropriate for the Olympic stage, but in a video posted to social media after the event, Williams laughed it off, saying, “Man, I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Oh, I would’ve been fined.” Her cameo played a crucial role in Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us,” as the tennis star was rumoured to have once dated Drake — Lamar’s rival and the main target of the song. Lamar references Williams in the track, singing Drake “better not speak on Serena.”
SZA and Kendrick Lamar perform “All the Stars”
SZA and Lamar performed two tracks during her special appearance, including their hit “All the Stars” from the Black Panther (2018) soundtrack. When the duo finished their performance, Uncle Sam approved: “That’s what America wants. Nice, calm.”
The song became an iconic highlight of the film, earning praise for its cultural impact and powerful celebration of Black culture. The performance resonated even more deeply following the passing of Chadwick Boseman, the star of Black Panther, in 2020, just before the release of the film’s second installment in 2022.
“Game over” spelled out in the audience
Lamar closed the show with a performance of “tv off,” metaphorically turning off his screen. As the performance concluded, the words “Game Over” lit up in the audience using flashing lights — a double entendre signalling not only the end of his performance but also referencing the conclusion of his feud with Drake, with Lamar declaring himself as the victor.
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