5 key moments from Kendrick Lamar's Superbowl show

«Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto!», shouted Samuel L Jackson at Kendrick Lamar during last night’s Super Bowl halftime show, held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The rapper of Not Like Us and All the Stars combined provocation and hope, hip hop and pop, fashion and music in one of the most political shows ever. In front of the entire United States (and President Donald Trump, who was present at the game), Lamar reminded the world of the true value of rap, while also taking a few jabs at Drake—who knows how he's feeling now. Joined by his colleague SZA, who performed with him on Luther and All the Stars, Kendrick Lamar became the first hip-hop artist to perform solo in Super Bowl history. In an interview last fall, when his participation was announced, he said, «rap music is still the most impactful genre to date, and I'll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.» But this wasn't the first time Lamar performed at America’s most-watched sporting event: in 2022, he shared the stage with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Eminem. At the time, artists faced several restrictions (Snoop Dogg was banned from wearing a blue bandana, so he dressed in the same pattern from head to toe), but with last night's performance, Lamar proved that the best shows can deliver the right message while overcoming any barriers. Touchdown. Besides Lamar’s stunning outfit—a varsity jacket by Martine Rose and boot-cut jeans by Celine—here are five highlights we’ll remember from this halftime show.

Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam of America

Dressed in a jacket, bow tie, and a star-spangled hat, Oscar-winning actor Samuel L. Jackson kicked off the Super Bowl halftime show dressed as Uncle Sam, the historic personification of the United States. Throughout Lamar’s performance, he provided ironic commentary, from the opening «Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto!» to the closing «That's what America wants, nice and calm» after the melody of All the Stars. What made Uncle Sam’s appearance so iconic wasn’t just Samuel L. Jackson’s performance but also the way he voiced the comments any Republican (including Trump) might have made while watching the concert.

The "a minor" necklace and jabs at Drake

Despite being the target of dissing, Drake recently sued Universal Music Group over the distribution (and success) of Not Like Us, but it was almost expected that Kendrick Lamar would bring the track to the Super Bowl. Before launching into one of the most streamed songs of 2024, which won two Grammys, Lamar teased the moment by emerging on stage wearing a chain with a pendant that read “a minor”, referencing the song lyric «trying to strike a chord and it's probably a minor» (and to the creative company Kendrick Lamar founded with Dave Free in 2020, PGLang), before taking a shot at the Canadian rapper: «I wanna play their favorite song but you know they love to sue».

Serena Williams does the Crip Walk on national TV

Besides Samuel L. Jackson, other icons of American pop culture made cameos at last night’s halftime show.  Mustard, the producer known for his collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and international artists like Rihanna, Travis Scott, and Drake, as well as tennis legend Serena Williams. During her appearance, Williams reclaimed one of the most controversial moments of her career by doing the Crip Walk (a dance from Compton historically associated with the Crips gang but now free of any criminal ties). She had done the same dance at Wimbledon during the 2012 Olympics after winning the gold medal, a choice that back then sparked waves of criticism. Last night, Williams' participation in the halftime show and her moves sent the audience into a frenzy.

Dancers form the American flag

Like every iconic halftime show, last night's performance featured a dance crew, eye-catching costumes, and a meticulously choreographed routine. The dancers, all African American, were dressed from head to toe (including durags) in total white, red, or blue. These colors were chosen to represent the American flag, which shifted and clashed in a rhythmic and dynamic choreography. At one point in the performance, the dancers gathered on the steps with Lamar standing in the center, “dividing” the flag—a striking image that resonated with Super Bowl viewers and was shared thousands of times on social media.

The Palestinian flag appears

As if that weren’t enough, Lamar seized the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of performing in front of 65,000 spectators in the stadium and hundreds of millions at home to send one final political message without even wanting to. After Lamar had celebrated the African American community, unity, and the fight against discrimination, a protester brought the Palestinian flag to the Caesars Superdome stage. On the white spaces of the flag, there was a heart and a raised fist next to the words Sudan and Gaza. The most interesting part? Out of the entire show, Trump (known for his tweets) said nothing about it—he only went back to criticizing Taylor Swift, claiming she was booed by the stadium. «MAGA doesn’t forgive!» wrote the U.S. president on Truth Social. But neither does Kendrick Lamar.