Accompanied by dancers dressed in red, white and blue, the lights raised on Kendrick Lamar standing atop a Buick GNX. The hip hop star wore a custom blue leather varsity jacket paired with flared jeans and a diamond necklace featuring a lowercase “a,” subtly referencing his dispute with Drake.
Making history as the first solo hip-hop artist to ever headline, Kendrick Lamar delivered a performance that was just as exciting to watch as it was to hear during the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show.
Lamar transformed Caesars Superdome into a showcase of artistic brilliance filled with indirect references to political unrest and his feud with Drake. While watching, audiences eagerly unpacked the true message behind his performance.
“I thought the overall message was powerful but I think I got it because I’m a Kendrick fan,” Calyn Hemphill, an SMU sophomore who is a “die-hard” Kendrick Lamar fan, said. “I understand how it may have went over some people’s heads.”
The question on everyone’s mind leading up to the show: will Kendrick include his controversial song “Not Like Us?” While standing in the middle of the field, Lamar stated, “I want to perform their favorite song but you know they love to sue,” in reference to the legal action that Drake took against the Grammy-winning diss track against him.
During the line of the song that says, “Say Drake I hear you like them young,” Kendrick looked directly into the camera, smiling, as he said the iconic line. Audiences took to social media further escalating the beef between the two.
According to Variety, the ongoing beef between the two artists began in March 2023 after Lamar dissed Drake and J. Cole for including him in the “big three” of hip hop. Lamar and Drake exchanged scathing diss tracks which brought up accusations of infidelity and pedophilia.
This feud has created tension amongst both fandoms of Lamar and Drake.
“I thought the performance was okay,” said sophomore Audrey Seeds. “I am at the end of the day a Drake fan so I think it’s kind of wild that Drake brought [Lamar] to where he is now and [Lamar] disses him any chance he gets.”
Lamar used patriotic symbolism to convey a deeper message in his performance. Hollywood legend Samuel L. Jackson took the stage dressed as Uncle Sam, a twist on the classic American symbol. As Lamar rapped “Squabble Up” from his new album, “GNX,” Jackson interrupts.
“Too loud, too reckless — too ghetto!” Jackson said, acting out the kind of backlash expected from people who may think the performance is too subversive.
To follow that up, the background dancers formed into a color-coordinated formation of the American flag as Lamar began to perform hits “HUMBLE” and “DNA.”
Both SZA and Serena Williams made notable appearances during the show. SZA, who will be joining Lamar on his upcoming tour, accompanied him to perform their hits “All the Stars” and “luther.” Serena Williams danced on stage during “Not Like Us,” signifying another jab at Drake, as it is rumored the two used to date years back. Williams revived video references of her crip walking after winning a match during the 2012 Olympics in London, for which she was heavily criticized.
When it was confirmed Lamar would perform at this year’s Super Bowl, he mentioned his genre’s impact and that he would “remind the world why.” On Sunday night, he proved himself correct through his creativity.
Fans and non-fans alike at SMU expressed their expectations and thoughts on the performance. Overall, students, for the most part, reacted positively to the performance, respecting the creative detail of Kendrick Lamar’s show.
