Kendrick Lamar was flanked dozens of dancers, 1000’s of soccer followers and no less than one A-list Hollywood star (with many different watching from the stands).
But, none of that appeared to matter all that a lot as a result of, actually, one of the best course for having fun with the 2025 Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present was to maintain one hundred pc deal with Kendrick Lamar.
OK, possibly extra like 95 p.c — for the reason that visitor look by the one and solely SZA was additionally fairly particular.
Nonetheless, it’s arduous to recollect one other Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present from the latest previous had been one single individual dominated our consideration the way in which Kendrick Lamar did throughout this break between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas Metropolis Chief matchup on the Caesars Superdome within the nice metropolis of New Orleans.
Usually, it’s the precise reverse, because the star’s efficiency is drowned out by all of the bells and whistles and persons are left speaking about all the massive funds theatrical results on show.
But, the King of Hip-Hop didn’t want any of that because the took the stage in entrance of a packed home — and the largest TV viewers of the yr — and simply began rapping his manner by means of one gem after one other.
(L-R) Kendrick Lamar and SZA carry out onstage throughout Apple Music Tremendous Bowl LIX Halftime Present at Caesars Superdome on Feb. 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photograph by Jamie Squire/Getty Photographs)
With the Eagles up (roughly) 487 to 0 on the Chiefs at halftime, Lamar’s set opened with a bit by Samuel Jackson, who was dressed up in all patriotic garb and was calling himself — await it — “Uncle Sam.”
Then Lamar appeared and began working by means of “Squabble Up” and different numbers from this yr’s “GNX” — which can simply be the best hip-hop album of the a long time so far — in addition to different numbers from his catalog.
The primary prop was a traditional GNX — the proud Buick street machine that impressed the title of the rapper’s newest full-length. The Compton native rapped whereas standing on its hood, earlier than leaping down to combine it up together with his dancers, who had been wearing pink, white and blue and — at one level — properly mimicked the form and design of the American flag.
There was some backwards and forwards with “Uncle Sam” Jackson — who, within the position that he was enjoying, chastised Lamar’s efficiency as “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto” — however his participation added little or no.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum was SZA (one the best voices in all of contemporary R&B) who joined Lamar for fast spins by means of two of their collaborations — “Luther” from “GNX” and “All the Stars” from the “Black Panther” movie soundtrack.
After all, everybody was ready to see how Lamar would deal with “Not Like Us,” the worldwide sensation diss monitor “Not Like Us” that obliterates fellow rapper Drake in methods many believed wouldn’t go over nicely with a worldwide mainstream household viewers. The reply was that he dealt with it fastidiously, eradicating the “pedophiles” cost from the lyrics — though, absolutely, that didn’t cease thousands and thousands of followers from ending the lyrics in the way in which they had been initially written.
Kendrick Lamar performs onstage throughout Apple Music Tremendous Bowl LIX Halftime Present at Caesars Superdome on Feb. 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photograph by Jamie Squire/Getty Photographs)
In all, it was one other huge triumph for Lamar, who’s simply coming off an totally spectacular Grammy sweep the weekend prior — as “Not Like Us” received two of “Big Four” normal area classes (music of the yr, file of the yr) in addition to greatest rap music, greatest rap efficiency and greatest music video.
Kendrick Lamar performs onstage throughout Apple Music Tremendous Bowl LIX Halftime Present at Caesars Superdome on Feb. 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photograph by Patrick Smith/Getty Photographs)
Initially Printed: February 9, 2025 at 6:41 PM PST
