Kendrick Lamar made history at Super Bowl LIX, becoming the first solo hip-hop artist to headline the halftime show—and he made every second count. With a performance that felt like a cinematic journey through his life, his music, and his place in the culture, Lamar commanded the stage at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome with a mix of new tracks, old hits, and pointed messages.
The show opened with Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, declaring, “You picked the right time, but the wrong guy.” As the lights flickered and the stage transformed into a PlayStation-inspired grid, Lamar stepped out, his letterman jacket emblazoned with GLORIA—a nod to his song of the same name featuring SZA, who would later join him onstage.
Eagle-eyed fans caught additional details on the jacket: patches referencing his Grand National tour, his album GNX, and the PGLang logo, the creative agency Lamar co-founded. Above it all, “Compton” was stitched into the fabric, a reminder of his roots.
Lamar delivered a setlist that was both personal and universal, blending his biggest mainstream hits with newer material from GNX. He energized the audience with tracks such as: Squabble Up, HUMBLE., DNA., Man at the Garden, Peekaboo, Luther (with SZA), All the Stars (with SZA), Not Like Us, and TV Off.
There was no escaping the weight of Lamar’s highly publicized feud with Drake, and speculation ran wild on whether he would perform Not Like Us, the diss track that dominated the charts and cemented his victory. Midway through the show, Lamar paused. “I wanna play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue,” he said—a clear shot at Drake, who filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the track. Then, without hesitation, he launched into Not Like Us, strategically omitting the word “pedophile” but still delivering the “A minor” lyric with a direct stare into the camera. The crowd roared.
As if the performance needed another headline-making moment, tennis legend Serena Williams—Drake’s former flame—appeared onstage, dancing to Not Like Us. Social media erupted, with fans calling it the “pettiest” yet most iconic move of the night. Williams later shared a behind-the-scenes clip of her practicing dance moves before hitting the stage, captioning it, “Let’s go Super Bowl halftime??! I died a little!”
From his meticulously designed PlayStation-themed stage to his seamless transitions between hits, Lamar’s performance wasn’t just about music—it was about storytelling. The GNX car, sourced specifically for the show, played into his video game-inspired narrative, while dancers in red, white, and blue suits moved through symbolic formations as Samuel L. Jackson’s Uncle Sam warned Lamar to “play the game.”
But Lamar didn’t just play—he dominated. Ending with TV Off, Lamar stood in front of a glowing “GAME OVER” sign, cementing the moment as not just a performance but a statement. With an audience of over 100 million watching, Kendrick Lamar turned Super Bowl LIX into his own victory lap—one that will be talked about for years to come.
