Sunday, February 2nd, marked the end of the 2024-2025 NFL Season with the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl 59. While the game was the main event, what’s being talked about more is Kendrick Lamar’s controversial halftime performance.
Every year, millions of people sit down to watch the final big game of the NFL season, with many also excited to tune into the halftime show. Popular artists come on stage to play their biggest hits while the crowd cheers them on and people watch from home on their TV. For rapper Kendrick Lamar, he decided to use this opportunity and his platform to make a statement to America.
Lamar, who is a well-known musical artist and arguably one of the most influential of his generation, carefully crafted his performance to be more of a reflection on race and power in America, using historical and political symbolism throughout the show. Some were obvious, such as the dancers dressing in red, white, and blue to represent the American flag and Samuel Jackson playing Uncle Sam. However, some may have not been as clear and had a deeper meaning. While Lamar hasn’t come out and explicitly said what each part of his show symbolized, the internet made inferences based on the show as a whole.
Lamar’s halftime show was a chance to show that it is all “bigger than the music,” as exclaimed by the rapper himself. While some may not fully agree with his stance, and some just wanted it to be a regular halftime performance to enjoy, it still is important to understand what he was standing for and why. As said by Daizha Rioland in an article published by The Everymom, “Everything isn’t meant for everyone to immediately understand-but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn.”
