Claire Herquet, Editor 

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show was a cultural and outspoken performance, with messages about racial inequality, the U.S. government and Black empowerment. With a discography of over 150 songs, Kendrick Lamar continues to be one of the deepest and most intelligent musical artists in the rap world, resulting in an exciting and thought-provoking halftime performance. In case you’ve missed the symbolism shown throughout, let’s break down and discuss some of the hidden meanings within his 13-minute show. 

Starting from the beginning, we are introduced to Mr. Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam, used in the early 19^th century to personify America, has always represented American pride and patriotism, but has also been used for propaganda on the subject of war. When it comes to accuracy, Lamar could have chosen a white man to embody this character and narrate the performance, as Uncle Sam is white. Instead, however, he chose to dive deeper and use a perspective held by Uncle Sam that black men are obedient and uphold white supremacy. And so, Samuel L. Jackson being dressed in an all-American uniform gives a clear demonstration that it does not matter what your skin tone is. 

Before Lamar’s first song is introduced, Jackson says, “And this is the great American game.” This statement is a double entendre because of course viewers know they are watching the Super Bowl, but Jackson is actually referring to the game that is America- living under the U.S. government’s rules and being black in this country.  

To start his first freestyle/piece, Lamar is standing on top of a 1987 Buick Grand National GNX, which is also the name of his most recent album released in Nov. 2024, “GNX.” Not only is this a representation of his album, but it also serves as a testament to his upbringing in Compton, California, since GNXs are a part of the car culture there. 

At the end of his freestyle Lamar states, “The revolution is about to be televised.” This is a play on words from Jill Scott Haran’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” song, which was a critique on the American media because she felt that they only focused on propaganda, consumerism and entertainment. 

However, for real change to be made for the greater good of society, people had to step out of their homes for liberation and protest for their freedom. This means you have to be actively involved to fight against injustice. Lamar then saying, “You picked the wrong guy” is an implication that he was chosen as the perfect person for this performance. Thus, the people dressed in red on stage alongside Lamar announce, “Someone better squabble up.” This statement not only is said to introduce his song “squabble up,” but tells the audience that we should be resilient and unapologetically dominant. 

Before the piece “squabble up” is even finished, the camera cuts to Samuel L. Jackson spectating as he demands, “No no no, too loud…too reckless…too ghetto. Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!” This is clear conditioning within white supremacy and our country- that black people should obey, be quiet and be grateful for what they have. Lamar responds to and disregards Jackson’s order by transitioning to his song “Humble,” spreading the themes of self-awareness and the tension between authenticity while also “getting to the top” to reach your goals. His dancers are dressed and in formation as the American flag, with a division right in the middle (where Lamar is standing) that represents the clear division among Americans today.  

After performing “DNA,” Kendrick gets into “euphoria,” which is one of his diss tracks against pop artist Drake. At this point of his performance, many viewers began asking about Lamar’s silver “A” necklace and what it could mean. Although there is no solid explanation for it in the media quite yet, many are speculating that it could mean “A minor,” as he says in his “Not Like Us” song. Others speculate that the necklace could also be the logo for his website and brand PgLang.  

Lamar begins performing “man at the garden,” where he is seen underneath a streetlight and surrounded by men (his homeboys). We see a dancer on top of the lamppost, as they are in the tarot card pose of The Hanged Man to represent being sacrificed for the greater good. After the song, Samuel Jackson walks into the setting and view of the camera saying, “You brought your homeboys with you! The old culture cheat code! Scorekeeper, deduct one life.” When he says to deduct one life, he is asserting that Lamar is not playing by his rules and wants to get rid of him, or another black cultural leader. He is possibly hinting at black cultural leaders such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton and more – all of whom were human rights activists and have since been assassinated.  

After performing “peekaboo,” Lamar is seen walking up to his four backup dancers saying, “I want to play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.” Fans immediately understood this nod to Drake because while a small cut of “Not Like Us” plays in the background, he is insinuating that if he sings the song, Drake will sue him for defamation. Lamar cuts to his calmer songs such as “luther” and “All The Stars,” featuring R&B singer SZA. 

Our ringleader, Jackson, comes out onto the stage and says, “Yes! That’s what I’m talking about! That’s what America wants! Nice, calm. Don’t mess this up.” Again, back to the ideas of black men “needing” to be calm and quiet and complying to his rules of “how to play the game.” Lamar disregards him again, however, and begins with “40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music.” 40 acres and a mule was a promise that was made to free slaves from the government, saying that they now have governance and ownership of land and resources. The follow through for the promise was never made, so the meaning behind this statement by Lamar is that the systemic injustices and broken promises made to black Americans continue to resonate and impact their lives beyond this era of slavery, especially in light of our current political situation.  

“They tried to rid the game, but you can’t break influence,” Lamar says, shedding light on the fact that black culture is important and influential. From here, Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us” begins, and his dancers drop to the ground, laying out on the stage under streetlights like dead bodies, representing those that have been killed by police brutality. 

From here, Kendrick continues to flame Drake with “Not Like Us,”  dancing on one of the largest stages in the world. Shoutout to professional tennis player and Drake’s ex-girl, Serena Williams, who was seen crip walking in two small clips before the performance wrapped. DJ and record producer Mustard was also brought on stage for his last song, “tv off,” which challenged viewers to not only consume his entertainment, but to let his words and actions resonate with us.  

Kendrick Lamar’s show will always be known as the most daring. The performance, ranking as the highest rated in history, was seen by an average of 133.5 million viewers across TV and streaming platforms, surpassing Michael Jackson’s Super Bowl XXVII performance as the most viewed halftime show in the U.S. With over 74 million views on YouTube, Lamar continues to be one of the most talked about musical artists in the industry right now, and for all the right reasons. He deserves all the recognition he has worked for, as he is always intelligent and deliberate with meaning, symbolism and visuals in his music and videos. The world hasn’t seen the best of him yet.