When “Uncle” Samuel L. Jackson introduced Kendrick Lamar for his Super Bowl performance at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans Sunday night, the rapper said early on, “the revolution would be televised.” Because of these words, I expected a different performance than what played out. Before the dragging begins, let me say that none of the symbolism was lost on me – neither was the top-tier pettiness.
But he kicked off the show with homage to Gil Scott Heron’s politically charged poem that served as a blueprint for unapologetically conscious hip hop. The gesture had me ready for the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show to be something along the lines of Lamar’s 2016 Grammy Awards performance. Remember that? How could anyone forget? He indicted America for its exploitation of Black men by way of mass incarceration and the for-profit prison industry. He rapped “Blacker the Berry” over hard bop jazz with his hands and ankles in chains. By the time he concluded the two-song set with “Alright,” the discomfort was palpable as the audience sat stunned. They were confused on whether to clap in solidarity, cry or run towards the nearest exit due to guilt and/or shame. The 2016 Grammys was classic K. Dot.
When he hopped out of the GNX, I was ready for him to follow suit with that type of energy – but it just did not hit in the same way. While enjoyable, even impressive, when ranked against the run-of-the-mill rapper, this was not that. Admitting as much does not make me any less of a ride-or-die Lamar fan.
To his credit, Lamar is an anomaly amongst many of his rap peers, both in lyrical capability and in stage presence. As usual, he performed without backing vocals – or a crowded stage full of unnecessary hype men. The production was well orchestrated. The choreography was cute –so was the well-curated song lineup. The 13-minute set was not terrible – it was not even bad. “DNA.” “Humble,” “Squabble Up” and “Luther” had hints of Lamar in his element. And St. Louis-born SZA joined him on stage for a performance of “All the Stars” – providing a sample of what they will deliver at the Dome this summer.
Many will argue that Super Bowl LIX was not the place for an overtly controversial performance when one considers the political views amongst NFL ownership. It is a fair rebuttal – but we are talking about K. Dot. He is the king of oppositional defiance in hip-hop – when it comes to his peers and the entire industry.
The show was not the “more” I had expected from K. Dot. Following Usher’s peak Ushering for Super Bowl LVIII and Rihanna’s surprise pregnancy reveal for Super Bowl LVII, the bar was pretty high. I would have settled for something along the lines of what Kendrick delivered during Super Bowl LVI as a guest performer along with Dr. Dre, Snoop, Eminem and Mary J. Blige. His subliminal tribute to Janet Jackson was the cherry on top.
I also decided that this show – which made history for Lamar as the first solo rap artist to headline a Super Bowl halftime performance– would be the Kendrick vs. Drake beef series finale. The Grammys were the season finale. Lamar swept the awards and made hip-hop history when his diss track took home awards for “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year.”
The Super Bowl set was either going to be the death blow. There were also the longest of long shots for a platonic Disney fairytale ending. I was quietly hoping for the latter, with a surprise reconciliation in the name of hip-hop. Drake would accompany Lamar on stage, and they’d squash the beef – like the Bloods and Crips in Lamar’s hometown of Compton. I did not say it was feasible. Especially considering the accusations hurled against Drake throughout “Not Like Us.” The summer anthem was the mic drop of a culminating diss track in a series of back-and-forth tracks with popular culture in a chokehold.
“I wanna play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue,” Lamar said during the Super Bowl set. It was a jab at the lawsuits filed by Drake in response to the lyrics. Lamar attempted to leave viewers limbo about whether he would perform the song. Everyone knew not doing so was not an option. And the way the entire Caesars Superdome screamed out “A minor” during “Not Like Us,” my desire for a public truce would have been destroyed before the performance ended.
Between his statement chain and the Crip walk cameo by Drake’s ex Serena Williams, it was clear Lamar was not interested in squashing any beef with the performance. But it would have been nice to see him spin the block on roasting systems of oppression over an open fire like he did the last time our nation faced such a divisive and vitriolic political climate.