In front of the largest captive audience of his career—roughly 65,000 people in the Superdome and millions more at home—Kendrick Lamar became the first solo rapper to appear on the NFL Super Bowl halftime show yesterday, carrying the flame of West Coast hip-hop forward and making it visible to everyone.
As a respected lyricist, Lamar has always been adamant about preserving the art form and sport of rap, regardless of how politically incorrect or unpleasant that devotion may be.
Lamar used dark pleasure to play into worries that he is too dangerous for America’s biggest stage for the country’s annual football, God, and country night. He was clear that he would not temper his contempt or his mannerisms for the sizable gathering.
Actor Samuel L. Jackson, playing a satirical Uncle Sam, opened the show by criticizing Lamar’s every move and warning him against doing anything “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto.”
In response, Lamar portrayed himself as a precursor to the grim reality of America and attacked the competitors he had been burying over the previous year.
“The revolution ’bout to be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guys,” the 37-year-old said. As dozens of dancers poured out from a shiny black Buick GNX, Lamar jumped off the stage to perform “squabble up,” and then segued into his 2017 single, “HUMBLE.” Dancers dressed in red, white and blue marched into a stars-and-stripes-shaped formation, with Lamar positioned as a defiant rip right down the center of the flag.
“Do you really know how to play the game?” Uncle Samuel L. scolded. “Then tighten up!”
There was a lot of criticism directed at the highly anticipated concert before it was even broadcast.
whether or whether Lamar would perform “Not Like Us,” his 2024 hit tune.
The song quickly became one of Lamar’s signature songs after he and celebrity artist Drake got into a spat. It broke streaming records and won him the Grammy Awards’ Song of the Year and Record of the Year titles last week.
Drake’s attorneys filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, the parent company of both rappers’ record labels, in January, alleging that the Toronto rhymer’s reputation was harmed by the distribution and widespread promotion of “Not Like Us.”
In the song’s lyrics, Drake is accused of being a paedophile and a “colonizer” of hip-hop culture. According to Drake’s lawsuit, the record label promoted the false allegations even though they were untrue.
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Lamar knew the moment everyone was waiting for as he performed other GNX tracks like “Man at the Garden” and “Peekaboo.” He made several allusions to the controversy during his set, grinning when the string instrumental of “Not Like Us” burst into the superdome. “But you know they love to sue,” he joked.
After Kendrick Lamar pump-faked rather than playing the full song, R&B singer SZA played her verse on “luther,” which is currently one of GNX’s top 10 hits. Following that, the two musicians worked together on “All the Stars” from Black Panther: The Album, which Lamar executive produced in 2018.
For a small moment, Uncle Samuel appeared to be placated by the sparkling, secure, and joyful tune.
As he launched into a full performance of “Not Like Us,” Lamar growled, “They tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence.” It turned out that the hint before those softer songs was a setup.
Without glancing over Drake’s name or any of the lyrical accusations, he smiled directly into the camera.
To make matters worse, a camera pan showed Serena Williams, a tennis champion and Compton native who was formerly Drake’s girlfriend, crip walking to the song. In order for the audience to sing the song’s most well-known lyric, “tryin’ to strike a chord and it’s probably A-minor,” the production even stopped the music.
The chorus of the song became an insult to the millions of fans watching as Lamar concluded his halftime performance with the words “tv off.” His producer, DJ Mustard, joined Lamar at centerfield. You might as well turn off your television now since this show will never be topped.
SOURCE: GHPAGE
