Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance: “Storytelling”
What was Kendrick Lamar’s performance supposed to embody? Here’s his answer:
Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the Super Bowl was more than a halftime show.
It was a moment of cultural significance, artistic precision, and unapologetic Black expression. While the Super Bowl has long been a stage for spectacle and corporate appeal, Lamar brought something different: substance. His presence was undeniable, delivering a message that stretched far beyond entertainment.
A Voice of the People on the Biggest Stage
Lamar’s performance wasn’t just music — it was a declaration. Every movement, lyric, and artistic choice reflected Black resilience, authenticity, and historical truth.
One of the most striking elements was HBCU stepping, a tradition deeply tied to Black colleges, fraternities, and sororities. More than choreography, it was a tribute to discipline, unity, and cultural pride. Likewise, Lamar’s decision to rap over raw beatboxing stripped hip-hop down to its essence — a rejection of industry polish and a return to its roots.
Unlike past performances built on spectacle, Lamar relied on deliberate, precise movements and stark black-and-white visuals to reflect struggle vs. perseverance, oppression vs. self-determination. The contrast mirrored his music — direct, urgent, and unwilling to compromise.
Yet beyond the artistry, the all-Black lineup sent its own message. In an era where DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts are both celebrated and attacked, this Super Bowl halftime show appeared to embrace inclusion — but was it real progress or just performance?
The NFL, long scrutinized for its failures in racial equity — from blackballing Colin Kaepernick to the lack of Black leadership in coaching and ownership — put Black artistry at the center of its most-watched event. But DEI initiatives are easy to showcase, harder to sustain.
Jay-Z, likely working outside of the NFL’s influence, played a role in Lamar’s inclusion, choosing impact over the league’s usual “safe” choices. Whether this was a genuine shift or a calculated gesture, one thing was certain —Lamar ensured representation wasn’t just acknowledged. It was felt.
“They Tried to Rig the Game, But You Can’t Fake Influence”
Lamar’s line, “They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence,” was a direct shot at Drake. It referred to their ongoing rivalry and Lamar’s belief that true impact isn’t manufactured by algorithms or industry machines.Drake, arguably hip-hop’s biggest commercial force, has long faced criticism for leveraging corporate power, ghostwriters, and industry positioning rather than raw authenticity.
But Drake was just an example, not the mission.
Lamar’s Super Bowl performance wasn’t about one rapper—it was about the system that decides who gets to win. Across industries, Black creators set the cultural tone, only for their work to be commodified, diluted, and repackaged for mass consumption.
By rejecting spectacle, rapping over raw beatboxing, and incorporating stepping (deeply tied to Black institutions), Lamar wasn’t just performing — he was reclaiming. His message went beyond hip-hop, calling out how mainstream structures profit from Black creativity while stripping it of its power.
Drake may embody the conversation Lamar was pushing, but he wasn’t the target. The real opponent was the system that rigs the game in the first place.
“40 Acres and a Mule, This Is Bigger Than the Music”
One of the defining moments of Lamar’s performance came when he invoked the long-broken promise of 40 acres and a mule, the reparations pledged but never delivered to freed Black Americans. This wasn’t just a historical reference — it was a direct indictment of generational theft, systemic barriers, and the economic stranglehold that has kept Black wealth from accumulating for centuries.
And yet, that message was met with silence.
Unlike past Super Bowl halftime shows, which thrive on explosive energy and crowd engagement, Lamar’s set stalled the usual enthusiasm. The discomfort was palpable.
The Super Bowl’s core demographic leans conservative and overwhelmingly white, a group that historically resists conversations about racial injustice. These are the same viewers who vilify racial justice movements, reduce hip-hop’s significance to entertainment alone, and reject performances that disrupt their version of America.
Lamar’s presence alone was a challenge. His music does not invite passive listening — it commands attention. It does not cater to comfort — it forces confrontation.
Delivering this message in a stadium powered by billion-dollar sponsorships only underscored its significance. The very institutions profiting off Black talent today are the same ones that have spent decades denying Black ownership.
Lamar wasn’t just performing — he was exposing.
And in that moment, the crowd's silence spoke louder than any applause ever could.
Serena Williams: A Symbol of Power and Movement
For decades, Williams has faced relentless policing — not just of her dominance, but of her very presence.
In 2018, the French Open banned her from wearing a compression catsuit — a medically necessary outfit designed to prevent blood clots after childbirth complications. Officials claimed it “disrespected the game.”
In 2012, after winning Olympic gold, she Crip Walked on the court — a celebration of West Coast Black culture. The backlash was immediate, with commentators calling it “classless” and “inappropriate.”
Why?
Because a Black woman expressing joy on a global stage was seen as a threat.
Williams never asked for acceptance — she demanded space. That same defiance was present in Lamar’s performance. Seeing her move to his music wasn’t just an artistic collaboration but two forces of resistance converging.
Samuel L. Jackson: The Voice of Legacy
Samuel L. Jackson wasn’t just a narrator in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance — he was its foundation. His voice, instantly recognizable and weighted with history, bridged past struggles with present resistance.
Jackson isn’t just an actor — he is the highest-grossing actor ever. His films have pulled in over $27 billion worldwide, yet he never met Hollywood’s expectations. Instead, he forced an industry that often marginalizes Black actors to acknowledge him and build around him.
Lamar’s performance was a cultural reckoning, and Jackson’s narration framed it as such. His voice didn’t just introduce the show — it declared its significance.
This wasn’t just another Super Bowl act.
“This is history in the making.”
A Moment That Couldn’t Be Ignored
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance wasn’t designed to entertain — it was meant to challenge. Whether people embraced it or resisted it, they had to witness it.
Lamar ensured that his presence was undeniable by stepping onto a stage where many weren’t ready to receive him.
He didn’t seek approval. He didn’t cater. He didn’t compromise.
This wasn’t about mainstream acceptance — it was about truth.
Real influence cannot be faked no matter how much the game is rigged.
Whether the audience engaged or not.
It didn’t matter.
