Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show wasn’t confusing, actually
I get it—if I were Drake, I’d simply disappear after an entire stadium sings about me loving “A minor.” Beyond the roasts and cheeky jokes against Drake, Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was undoubtedly a political commentary.
Social media was busy kicking their feet over Drake’s downfall. After all, Kendrick incorporated recent developments in his feud with Drake into his rap, the infamous lawsuit included. But in between these jabs, Kendrick’s stage played with themes of racism, slavery, and the rise of white supremacy.
Kendrick didn’t pull punches and referenced a Gil Scott-Heron song at the start of his set. “The revolution is about to be televised. You picked the right time, but the wrong guy.” Starting off with that message while the newly elected president of the United States was in attendance at the game is as intentional as it can get. He made it clear that this performance was political. It’s not a stretch, considering that Kendrick has dissed Trump in some of his other songs.
Uncle Sam’s racism
Samuel Jackson showed up as a caricature of Uncle Sam—a fictional character who is associated with the United States government. He often appeared to bolster the United States’ war efforts during the First World War. A more sinister side to Uncle Sam is his promotion of white power and blatant disregard of Black lives.
Kendrick’s performance of “Squabble Up” would be interrupted by the Uncle Sam character. Unabashedly, he called it “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto.” That statement is as racist as it can get. Rap, born from Black culture, is often mocked as improper. But perhaps people brushed that critique aside because Samuel Jackson—a black man—is the one portraying Uncle Sam.
Art protests reality
For the Uncle Sam character to appear in this political climate is no coincidence. Donald Trump’s administration is attacking Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs meant to help Black and other racial minorities against systemic inequality in hiring practices. Trump’s best buddy, Elon Musk, made a gesture that resembled a Nazi salute during the inauguration twice. Musk’s actions were justified by MAGA supporters, all the while notable white supremacists celebrated Musk’s salute.
From Kendrick standing in the middle of an American flag formed by the backs of Black dancers to Kendrick’s set looking like a prison yard—these were messages that protest the systemic injustices against Black people. Kendrick would harp by the end of his performance, “40 acres and a mule—this is bigger than music. They tried to rig the game, but they can’t fake influence.” The promise of equal opportunity is being threatened, and it’s reflective of Trump’s recent executive orders. Nevertheless, Kendrick sends the message that people are aware and won’t stand by.
Unsubtle, yet ignored
There’s a lot to unpack in Kendrick’s performance, and it seems even President Trump didn’t see this as a protest against him. After all, he was too busy celebrating the fact that Taylor Swift got booed during the Super Bowl game. If the president understood, he would’ve been talking about it non-stop at Truth Social already. Nevertheless, droves of social media users pointed out that Kendrick protested Trump. One X user called Kendrick a “political storyteller.” Several others on X pointed to the various symbolism at play in Kendrick’s performance.
For what it’s worth, much of Kendrick’s message was drowned out because of his beef with Drake. Additionally, he operated on metaphors and rapped to a setlist that didn’t openly call Trump out. But Kendrick did ask us to squint and understand the message—thankfully, the point wasn’t entirely missed.
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