Kendrick Lamar is having the best year of his career, and what better way to close out this successful run than with a performance on the world’s biggest stage.
Just one week after sweeping the Grammys with not one, not two, but five new awards to add to his trophy shelf- all of which were awarded for diss track “Not Like Us”- Lamar had all eyes on him as he took the stage at the 59th Super Bowl halftime show.
Opening the performance on a four piece stage decorated like a gaming controller, the camera panned over to center field where Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, joyously greeted the audience.
“Salutations, it’s your Uncle, Sam!” Jackson grinned, gesturing to his Americana costume. “And this… is the great American game.”
Panning over to Lamar, the rapper then officially kicked things off with a performance of “Bodies (GNX Snippet)” while perched on top of a black Grand National, the car that inspired his title of his latest album.
Speaking to the crowd before then transitioning into his latest single “squabble up,” Lamar made his first subtle commentary of the night, stating “the revolution about to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy.”
And as viewers at home and online began to cheer at the subtle digs at both Lamar’s peers and the commander in chief, Samuel L. Jackson once more appeared to interject and add his own thoughts about the performance surrounding him.
“No, no, no, no, no. Too Loud. Too Reckless. Too ghetto,” Jackson disapproved. “Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up.”
And so he did.
Immediately launching into fan favorite “Humble” Lamar’s dancers came out in droves of red, white and blue, forming an American flag around him.
Lamar then went on an energetic run, performing hits “DNA.,” “euphoria,” “man at the garden” and “peekaboo,” leaving the crowd on the edge of their seats as “peekaboo” ended and the intro to “Not Like Us” blared over the speakers.
But much to the audience’s (short lived) despair, the intro was only a tease.
Talking to his backup dancers, Lamar joked “I want to make a move. I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue,” referencing the defamation lawsuit Drake filed against Lamar and UMG last year.
Playfully met with the dancers asking “what song?” the famed “Not Like Us” beat returned as a smile crept along Lamar’s face.
“That song.”
And just when fans thought it was finally time to watch Lamar perform America’s favorite diss track, the rapper quickly changed gears.
“Maybe I’ll think about it… but I’m going to slow it down,” he stated before launching into “Luther” with special guest and soon to be tourmate, SZA.
A duo who have had music fans across all genres captivated by their mix of lyricism, melodies and charming vocals over the past few years via their frequent collaborations, the pair then went on to perform their viral hit “All The Stars.”
And this is apparently exactly what our new and highly critical censor-centric Uncle Sam wanted.
“That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what America wants. Nice and calm,” Jackson praised. But only a moment too soon as as soon as he went to warn Lamar to “[not] mess this [up]” the intro to “Not Like Us” started up once more and this time, it didn’t leave fans hanging.
In potentially the most energetic performance of the night, which had the crowd both at Caesars Superdome and the viewers at home buzzing with anticipation- Lamar was nearly bursting at the seams as he rapped along.
Smiling at the camera frequently throughout the song, Lamar sent fans into even more of a tizzy as he flashed an extra look at his pearly whites during the infamous lyric “Say Drake-“
And though Lamar let the crowd take on some of the biggest lyrical shots from the track, the rapper joined the entire stadium in scream singing “A-MINORRRRRR,” which also had guest star Serena Williams dancing along on stage.
Then closing out his set with GNX single “tv off” with a special appearance from frequent collaborator and producer, Mustard, Lamar took his final shot before the show faded out to a glittering GAME OVER written out in lights.
A fantastic ending to his own Super Bowl level run.
While this past 12 months have been exceptionally prominent for Kendrick Lamar’s career, the 37 year old rapper is no stranger to success.
In 2018 Lamar became the first rapper (and first non jazz or classical musician in general) to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music, and just last week he became the third highest decorated rapper at the Grammy Awards, taking home 5 awards that brought his total to 22 over his 20 year career.
With an additional 2 American Music Awards, 6 BET Awards, 37 BET Hip Hop Awards (the highest of anyone), 7 Billboard Music Awards and dozens of other accolades, Kendrick Lamar’s impact on hip hop and music in general is indisputable. And we can’t wait to see what he’s up to next.
You can stream Kendrick Lamar’s new album GNX out now, and stay up to date on all things K. Dot via the links below.
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