Kendrick Lamar Knew the Assignment: Super Bowl LIX Sends A Message

If you tuned into the Super Bowl LIX game on Sunday night, everyone had their favorite teams pegged for the championship ring. However, what surprised viewers was Kendrick Lamar’s half-time performance—so much anticipation and hype building for the Los Angeles native and his special guest, SZA. For hip hop fans, this was as real as it could get.

In 2024, the rap world witnessed one of the biggest feuds between Kendrick and Drake. It was pure entertainment, and no holds were barred from Kendrick, as he nailed the coffin shut with “Not Like Us”. The song was the ultimate diss record of the year, with him winning several Grammys last week. But the song became a ‘calling to arms’ anthem for multiple marginalized groups who needed their voices to be heard. I heard the song often during the Democratic National Convention and various protest rallies.

Leading up to the Super Bowl game in New Orleans, #47 appeared at the biggest viewed telecast of the year. This came with some stipulations, such as removing the theme “End Racism” from the football field to add "Choose Love", and the N.F.L. conceded. The social media posts from #47 praised the Kansas City Chief’s quarterback’s wife and her husband’s team while he ‘low-key’ dissed the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kendrick Lamar had a purpose when he hit the field. Many viewers over age 50 were unfamiliar with most of his songs other than “Not Like Us,” although an appearance from SZA was a bit familiar, many were left scratching their heads. His performance was wrapped in symbolism and a strong message of Black identity. The formation of the dancers making the American flag was pure genius. In a new era where DEI is being wiped out under the disguise of opportunities for Black Americans when only the most significant group who benefited were white women, our presence and our history are under attack by this new White House administration. Kendrick wasn’t there to shake ass and smile for the camera, he was there to make a point—Black Americans is interwoven into the fabric of American history. The actor Samuel Jackson, as Uncle Sam, represented the U.S. government and was the emcee of the half-time show. He walks the audience through Kendrick’s storyline, but unfortunately, for many viewers, it goes over their heads.

Although the Super Bowl has been marketed as a ‘family-friendly’ N.F.L. championship game with entertainment as its draw, we are at different times, and we cannot pretend the decisions being made by our current president will not affect us. The foundation of the 14th Amendment and Civil Rights laws were made on the backs and gravesites of Black Americans (descendants of enslaved citizens) that benefit many marginalized groups today. I’m sorry Mr. Lamar didn’t give viewers the over-glamorized fireworks and a harness flying over the stadium that we have grown accustomed to seeing at the most-viewed halftime show of the season. Still, he understood his assignment and completed it.

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles. I’m sure #47 was thrilled about your well-earned victory. #HappyBlackHistoryMonth