𝑲𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌’𝒔 𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒐𝒘𝒍 𝑳𝑰𝑿 𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒇𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕...

The 2025 Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show was a testament to how far hip-hop has come in the last 50 years. A good kid from a mad city got to show the world that there is nothing like the culture—and there never will be.

"The revolution's about to be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy..." – K.Dot

In the months leading up to the Super Bowl, I was eager to see how artistic Kendrick would get with his performance. Having witnessed the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Tour, which was a masterclass in the art of rap, I knew this halftime show was bound to go down in hip-hop history. Not only was Kendrick the first rapper to headline the Super Bowl solo, but the controversy surrounding the moment made it even more monumental.

Kendrick truly embodied a victory lap—word to Nip. Some fans believed Lil Wayne should have gotten the nod, which would’ve been dope, but Kendrick is having the year of his career. He has already cemented himself in the hip-hop Hall of Fame, and this moment was well-earned.

And then came a moment we never thought we’d see—legal action in a rap battle... Hip-hop battles, at its core, is about verbal warfare where anything goes, yet we saw an attempt to silence one of the greatest diss tracks of all time. The big question leading up to the show was: Would Kendrick perform "Not Like Us"? A song so culturally impactful that it swept the Grammys with five wins and is now a contender for greatest diss track of all time. But like Kendrick himself said during the performance:

"They tried to rig the game, but you can't fake influence."

And in that moment, he pressed the red button.

A Performance That Held Up a Mirror to America

From Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam to the sharp messaging woven into every part of the show, Kendrick once again used his platform to highlight the plight of being Black in America—a theme deeply embedded in his discography. What I truly appreciated was that Kendrick did not conform his art just to please casual listeners. He could have played more of his mainstream hits, but everything was intentional, serving a greater purpose—a bigger picture, masterfully executed by Kendrick and the genius that is the pgLang collective.

Some critics didn’t understand the performance, but the truth is: if you’re not from the culture, it wasn’t meant for you to understand. And that’s okay. We don’t have to dumb it down to make it more palatable.

Final Thoughts

All things considered, this was a dope, unapologetic, and powerful performance that will be talked about for years to come. Over time, it will get its flowers for being a moment where the art wasn’t compromised.

Shoutout to Mr. Morale for taking a big step towards the future of hip-hop.

Salute.

— Christian