Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans on Sunday drew criticism from viewers, with some even calling it the “worst halftime show ever.” Despite his recent Grammy wins, the 37-year-old rapper appeared unable to carry that energy into his performance at the Caesars Superdome, before the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning artist displayed his signature lyrical skill, kicking off his set while standing atop a car and taking a jab at his longtime rival Drake. Drake recently filed a lawsuit against their shared record label, Universal Music Group, over the diss track “Not Like Us” which accuses him of being a “certified pedophile.”
Lamar Blasted for Halftime Show
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Lamar still performed the song but chose to leave out that particular word. He did, however, include two other pointed lines: “Say Drake, I hear you like them young” and “Trying to strike a chord and it’s probably a minor,” as the audience enthusiastically sang along.
Lamar’s set featured a surprise introduction by actor Samuel L. Jackson, 76, who appeared dressed as “Uncle Sam.” The rapper then performed a medley of his biggest hits before being joined onstage by 35-year-old R&B star SZA.
Lamar also sported a large silver chain with a small letter “A” pendant, seemingly referencing the “A minor” wordplay in his lyrics.
His blistering diss track aimed at Drake won him the Grammys for Record of the Year and Song of the Year last weekend.
Originally released last May, the viral song featured Lamar making shocking claims that Drake was a “certified pedophile” and had a history of pursuing minors. In response, Drake denied the accusations in his rebuttal track The Heart Part 6, saying, his was “not a name you gon’ see on no sex offender list.”
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Tennis legend Serena Williams, who was once romantically linked to Drake, was spotted dancing during Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us.”
Not Expected
During the high-energy set, a man waving a Palestinian flag tried to rush the stage but was quickly stopped by security. While fans inside the stadium witnessed the incident, television cameras did not capture it for viewers at home.
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Lamar took the stage wearing a blue and white jacket over a black shirt, paired with blue jeans and a backward hat. He was backed by a group of dancers dressed in red, white, and blue, who arranged themselves to resemble an American flag.
At one point, Samuel L. Jackson returned to the stage and addressed the crowd, saying, “Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto. Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game?”
Lamar delivered solo performances of Wacced Out Murals, Bodies, Squabble, Euphoria, Humble, DNA, Man at the Garden, and Peekaboo before SZA joined him on stage.
Together, the duo performed their collaborations Luther and All the Stars, with SZA stunning in an all-red ensemble.
Lamar closed out his set with the song TV Off, wrapping up a halftime show that had the crowd buzzing.
Fans went furious after the performance and blasted Lamar on social media, with one writing, “worst halftime show ever not a fan.”
“So far the best part of the halftime show is Samuel L Jackson,” one person wrote.
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“I genuinely can’t tell if I’m being biased against Kendrick but I think this is the worst halftime show I’ve seen in a minute,” another wrote.
“I thought The Weekend was bad but Kendrick Lamar took that spot! Worst half time show ever!”
“This half time show at The Super Bowl by Kendrick Lamar is hot garbage… Worst of all time…” another wrote.
