kendrick lamar : a halftime performance

It all started on March 22, 2025, just about a year ago with a song from Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick Lamar. The collaboration album between Future and Metro Boomin exploded in the music industry. Lamar’s feature, which disses Drake on “Like That”, started an intense feud between the two rappers. 

Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images via The Hollywood Reporter

While Drake attempted to rebuttal the diss track, Lamar evidently won the battle after dropping more songs including “Not Like Us”, “euphoria” and “meet the grahams”.

After many months of feuding, it was announced that Lamar would perform the halftime show at the 2025 Super Bowl. 

Photo: FOX via Entertainment Weekly

The performance included Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam in red, white, and blue, SZA features with “luther” and “All of the Stars”, and a cameo from Serena Williams.

The symbolism during Lamar’s show is some of the best I have ever seen. His interludes between songs contain necessary messages. One of them being:

“It's a cultural divide, I'ma get it on the floor/ You really 'bout to do it?/Forty acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music”

Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images via Billboard

On top of that, when Lamar was playing his hit song, “Not Like Us,” he gave the camera a devious smile with an intense stare when he rapped, “Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young/You better not ever go to cell block one.” This smile was monumental in this feud, especially since 133.5 million people were watching. 

With anything Lamar creates, he plans every single element down to the smallest details. His double and triple entendres prove he is a storyteller and uses his artistry to connect with his audience. 

Lamar has been an impressive artist for a long time, winning the 2018 Music Pulitzer Prize for his album “DAMN.”. This was the first time a rap/hip-hop album won this award since most Music Pulitzer Prizes are presented to jazz or classical artists. “DAMN.” was described as “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”

Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty via Entertainment Weekly

Kendrick Lamar will be remembered for an extensively long time due to his continuous releases and undeniable skills. Have a listen, explore the story, and see why he is one of the best artists in the game.

k...now rage

Full Halftime Show via @NFL on Youtube