Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance: Right Time, Wrong Guy? Or Nah?
Andrene G.
Author of the nonfiction book “Ahh... To Zen! An A to Z Guide to a Great Life.”
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime show delivered more than entertainment; it conveyed some powerful messages. The timing was right: a moment of cultural and political tension, an election year, and hip-hop still at its peak influence. But was Kendrick the right messenger, as the headline states: "The revolution is about to be televised, you picked the right time, but the wrong guy?" That is the big debate. Let’s break this down. But first, let us define the term "revolution." The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system." Notably, President Trump is the first incumbent President to attend the game in person.
The Pop Culture Elements
The Vehicle:
A 1987 Buick GNX, a throwback to the year Lamar was born, if this was meant to be a revolutionary moment, Kendrick wasn’t driving the vehicle. He was in it or on it, but never in control of it. The Super Bowl Halftime Show is still an NFL production, which means corporate oversight, league branding, and constraints. Was Kendrick pushing the boundaries within that system? Maybe, but only so much. The revolution was being televised—126 Million Viewers, Most-Watched Ever—but the network yoked it. Still, something about it made me reflect on Tupac’s demise. Was that intentional? I wonder.
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Drake Shade:
American rapper, Kendrick Lamar, and Canadian rapper, Drake, have had ongoing beef, since the release of Kendrick's song "Like That" on March 22, 2024, and possibly dating back to 2013 (Vox). Kendrick seized on his opportunity to take covert (or perhaps, overt) shots at Drake. But was his performance an attempt to differentiate himself from Drake’s more commercial, pop-heavy appeal? The contrast was clear. Drake leans into mainstream pop culture, and Kendrick leans into disruption. His presence alone signifies shade; Drake might dominate streaming, but he owns the stage when it matters most—especially given Trump's war on DEI and the Black culture.
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SZA’s Performance:
SZA appeared in their famous duet, “All the Stars.” Her involvement added some weight, as she is a cultural icon in R&B right now. But was this a co-sign or a distraction? Did it reinforce Kendrick’s message? Was it an industry compromise, or was it part of the splendour, given her romantic relationship history with Drake?
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Serena’s Crip Walk/Dance:
Then came Serena Williams with the infamous “Crip Walk.” That was interesting, to say the least. Was it just choreography, or a nod to West Coast culture and Kendrick’s Compton roots? The Crip Walk has historically been a symbol of defiance and identity, something the NFL has tried to suppress in its “family-friendly” packaging. Was this a subtle rebellion, or just a moment co-opted into spectacle? Williams also has a past with Drake, and it is ironic that she performed a dance linked to her sister's death. Again, rebellion or public spectacle?
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"A-Minor":
The song, the chord, the chain, the mood—this was the seismic pop-culture suspense of the performance. Was he going to perform it or not? Then the song hit the stage, and the whole thing became unsettling. "A-Minor", references the first verse of "Not Like Us" and alludes to Drake's?as a pedophile (something that is completely unfounded and Drake sued him for) or the entertainment industry’s biggest secret. Whatever the case, Kendrick’s performance wasn’t just about a beef, he was also trying to expose the system. At that point, the performance stops feeling like a concert and starts feeling like an intervention—Kendrick telling us the cost of playing the game. Whatever it was, it created a sense of unease. A warning. A prophecy.
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The Political Aspects
Samuel L. Jackson Playing Both "Uncle Tom" & "Uncle Sam"
This was huge! If Jackson (Uncle Tom) was positioned as both the subservient enslaved person, sold in New Orleans, the place of the Super Bowl and the system itself (Uncle Sam), then Kendrick was highlighting the paradox. Black people are often used by the system and complicit in it. It was a stark critique of the way Black people are commodified in America.
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Secondly, Uncle Tom was depicted as a "sell-out" in Harriett Beecher Stowe's (a white woman) novel. ?A slanted interpretation of Josiah Henson's (an abolitionist and underground railroad conductor) memoir, making him seem like a traitor to his race. The term became a slur around the 1930s in the Black culture by “Black academia and Black intelligentsia.” They used it to describe those of the African-American community whom they saw as not as radical as they thought they ought to be. (The Real Uncle Tom. YouTube. 38:45). "Man at the Garden" could be indicative of Trump alluding to the betrayer.
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Ironically,?Uncle Tom?only escaped slavery and hopelessness by escaping to Canada. This highlights the long history and entanglement of the U.S.A. and Canada and the freedom and refuge that Canada offers to all.
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Jackson’s narration as Uncle Sam added a foreboding voice to the performance, and depending on how you interpret it, it could be deemed:
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"40 Acres and a Mule"
This is a direct reference to the broken promise of Black reparations and a reminder that the government is not to be trusted. However, in this context, it’s also about ownership—who controls hip-hop, the NFL, and Black culture and labour? Until Black people own the stage they perform on, their messages will continue to be undercut by the system. This was a direct call to Black people to wake up and stop being complicit in their oppression.
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"The Game" As a Metaphor
This works on multiple levels:
Is Trump playing a game, and who is exposing it? That tension was at the heart of the performance. In a recent statement from the Oval Office, Trump said Canada would become the 51st State?"If people wanted to?play the game?right."?So again, who is playing, who are the players, and who is being played?
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The Actual Game - Eagles Winning 40-22
The game ended with the Eagles winning the defending, Chiefs, 40-22. Is there symbolism in those numbers? Some might see a hidden message in the score itself, especially with "40 acres" already in play or Uncle Sam's 41 years as a slave (deduct one). In the Bible, 40 represents transition, testing, preparation and completion of God's purpose and fulfillment of His promises—good and bad.
22 was the date Kendrick's diss track was released. That suggests that "Kendrick" may not win the beef-war even though he is the defending champion. 22 is also a reminder of our inner power and ability to effect positive change in our lives. It is also a French jargon to warn others that the police are coming. Note: New Orleans, a French colony from 1718 until the 1803 sale to the United States, has a history of police corruption and violence often involving military forces (NOLA.com).
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More profoundly, "The Twenty-second Amendment (Amendment XXII) to the United States Constitution limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President" Trump has put it out there that he can run again for a third term. He wants a three-peat. This serves as a reminder that he is subject to the law, and any attempt to circumvent it will result in consequences.
That said, scripture tells us, Israel's first king, after the kingdom split in two in 930 B.C., was Jeroboam I, and he reigned for 22 years following a revolt (1 Kings 11-14, The Holy Bible). Trump has already demonstrated that he is willing to defy the odds, the Constitution and the government. Do not sleep on this. Nevertheless, God's will be done.
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Final Thoughts: Right Time, Wrong Guy?
Kendrick Lamar has cemented himself as one of the most profound, politically charged artists of this generation. But was the Super Bowl the place for this message? More importantly, to reiterate the headline: Was this the "Right Time" or the "Wrong Guy"? Did the constraints of the stage or some of the performers dilute his impact? Was he boxed in, like every other revolutionary who’s been commodified by the very system they critique?
If this was supposed to be the moment, was it complete? Maybe that was the point. The revolution was televised, but not fully realized. It's up to each of us now. Turn the "TV Off." Turn off the programming—the brainwashing. Wake up. Stop consuming the lie. "This is all an illusion. Stop watching. Start acting." Despite the eerie, ominous feel, Kendrick was exposing something—whether about the industry, the culture, or the political landscape. The performance didn’t resolve into something triumphant. It left us hanging, and that was intentional—a fitting anthem for Black History Month.
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