Kendrick Lamar kicked off the Super Bowl halftime show with a promise to share some stories and performed the track that has been on everyone’s lips.
Samuel L. Jackson set the stage, appearing as Uncle Sam, just before Lamar dove into his popular tracks “Squabble Up,” “Humble,” “DNA,” and “Peakaboo.”
He playfully teased about his controversial song “Not Like Us.” “I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue,” Lamar said.
This song sparked a viral rap battle with Drake last year, leading to a complex legal battle.
Following this, Lamar and SZA took the stage together to perform “Luther” and “All the Stars.”
Then Lamar delivered what the crowd had been waiting for, performing “Not Like Us” and carefully avoiding the word “pedophile” from the controversial lyric directed at Drake.
The audience backed Lamar by joining in on the iconic “A Minor” line, now famous in its own right.
Serena Williams made a surprise appearance, dancing and representing Compton, California, where both she and Lamar began their successful careers.
Joined by professional dancers, Lamar showed off some dance moves himself, smoothly integrating them with his lyrics.
This performance marked his second Super Bowl halftime show appearance; his first was during Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles in 2022, a tribute to hip-hop featuring legends like Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Eminem, and others.
Lamar ended the night with a performance of “TV Off.”
As the game neared, all eyes were on Lamar following his recent win of five Grammy Awards, including Song and Record of the Year for “Not Like Us.”
There was widespread speculation surrounding Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, questioning whether he would deliver his controversial diss track or perhaps share the stage with Taylor Swift, who was there supporting her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.
Swift and Lamar had previously teamed up for her 2014 hit “Bad Blood.”
Before the game, SZA released four new tracks from her “Lana” deluxe edition and announced an upcoming tour with Lamar starting in April.
Meanwhile, rumors about Drake’s attendance were put to rest as he was reportedly in Melbourne, Australia, for a concert.
