Madison Huff
Staff Writer
Super Bowl LIX was played on Feb. 9 and featured a match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, with the Eagles taking home the Lombardi Trophy. But many tuned in just for Lamar. And many are still talking about what it represented.
Nielson ratings reported that 126 million people watched the game, but 133 million tuned in for the halftime show, making it the most watched of all-time. This number even surpassed Michael Jackson’s show 30 years prior, according to Vibe.com.
The show featured special guests: SZA, Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam, and Serena Williams doing the crip walk (which she first did at the 2012 Olympics).
According to NBC.com, the 22-time Grammy winner performed 10 songs, including: “Not Like Us”, “Humble”, “Squabble Up”, “All The Stars” and more.
Many recall that in 2012, tennis legend Serena Williams was criticized for performing the Crip Walk after she beat Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon.
She later performed the same dance move during the halftime performance to “Not Like Us”.
Jackson, who represented Uncle Sam in a star-spangled suit, interjected between Lamar’s tracks spouting warnings of how America views and judges black culture.
According to an article in The College Reporter written by Gab Neal, when Lamar performed “Squabble Up,” Jackson interjected commentary saying, “No, no, no– Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto! Mr. Lamar, do you know how to play the game? Then, tighten up!” referencing this ‘game’ that Lamar has to play in regards to the American culture.
For every song Lamar performed, Uncle Sam had a problem with it. Well, not every song.
According to People magazine, once SZA came out, their performance of “Luther” and “All the Stars” were calm, according to Jackson, which briefly satisfied him.
“That’s what America wants! Nice and calm. You’re almost there, don’t mess this up…” Jackson said.
Lamar answered with the performance of “Not Like Us.” By the end of the performance, Jackson’s defeated Uncle Sam exited the Caesars Superdome stage.
Some people felt the show was too serious and polarizing. While others expected the 2018 Pulitzer Prize winning rapper to do just what he did. Lamar won the coveted award for his 2017 album “Damn”.
Clyde Okojie, a professor in the theater arts department at Jackson State University was disappointed by performance.
“I thought the performance was boring. It’s a time and place to speak about political issues but I understood the symbolism and what he was trying to do,” said Okojie.
Other symbolism in the halftime performance you might have missed:
According to an article on the hollywoodreporter.com, the dancers were dressed in red, white, and blue forming the American flag and visually represented the divisions within the country.
The turning of their backs to each other, with Lamar positioned in the center, reflected the notion of division and disunity, especially in the context of social and racial issues in America said Kelvin Dolak, the author in the Feb. 10 article.
The image of the flag being presented in this way highlighted the idea that the nation is still grappling with internal struggles and disparities, despite its outward symbolism of unity and freedom.
Lamar has always been known for using his platform to address complex themes of identity, race, and justice, and this particular moment underscored the ongoing conversation about division and inequality.
All symbolism aside, the crowd waited for the much-anticipated performance of “Not Like Us”, which was teased throughout the halftime performance. When Lamar finally gave the audience what they wanted, the crowd went wild. Many speculated if Lamar would say the name of his nemesis Drake in the diss rap because of Drake’s propensity to sue.
Well Lamar did not disappoint and the crowd joined in for the slightly modified lyrics:
Certified Lover Boy? Certified —
(Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop) I’m on ‘em tough
(Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop) I’ma do my stuff
Why you trollin’ like a –? Ain’t you tired?
Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minorrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
What did you think of the performance? Leave a comment below.
