Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show did more than take shots at Drake
Breaking down political messages in Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show
K.Dot served entertainment and education during the 59th Super Bowl halftime.
Pop culture has long served as a conduit for political activism, and Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show for the 59th Super Bowl did just that on America’s biggest stage. When the rapper, early in the performance, said, “The revolution will be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy,” he let us know this was about to get deep.
Although Lamar and Drake’s beef has been a hot topic, there’s a lot more to this politically-infused, symbolic, powerhouse performance. Yes, there were plenty of shots thrown at Drake, like the entire stadium singing “A minor” in unison—the lyric Lamar used to call Drake out for allegedly having relations with underage girls—or Serena Williams, Drake’s former partner, crip walking on a platform. But the projection of their infamous beef on stage is only a sliver of the events to unpack here.
No doubt there’s a lot to dive into, with many online deeming this performance the most radically political halftime show to date. I agree. But don’t worry – I’m here to unpack a few of the minute yet prominent political symbols that may have gone over your head. Think of this as a history lesson and pop-culture breakdown all in one.
The show opened with Samuel L. Jackson, a Black actor, depicted as Uncle Sam, sporting a patriotic RW&B tuxedo embellished with stars and stripes. This irony is striking and holds a double meaning. Uncle Sam personifies America and its values—freedom, the pursuit of happiness, equality—which have notoriously excluded Black Americans. Instead of having a white man clad in Uncle Sam’s patriotic attire to fit the traditional character, Lamar chose Jackson to narrate the show. This isn’t the first time the star-studded actor has been depicted as an “uncle.” In Django Unchained (2012), Jackson took on a role alluding to Uncle Tom, a term and caricature negatively associated with Black men who appease and submit to white men. The character, originally derived from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was twisted into a pejorative once minstrel shows appropriated it. The words Jackson spoke as Uncle Sam were equally as riveting as the story behind his character choice.
“Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” Uncle Sam said in response to Lamar’s song “Squabble Up.” These belittling stereotypes have long been attached to the Black community, and a Black mogul like Jackson reclaiming these distasteful notions made the moment all the more powerful.
“Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game?” “Tighten up”—to translate, fall in line—Jackson said, preluding Lamar’s appearance with yet another patriotic symbol: the American flag. Each performer was clad in either all-red, white, or blue attire, with dancers wearing an eclectic mix of durags, beanies and face masks. These outfits visually recreated the U.S. flag with the performers bodies in unison. Lamar then intercepted the dancers, dividing the flag in half, symbolizing the current political strife that has fractured the country. The flag-turned performers also alternated between nodding their heads and raising their fists. Were they alluding to both obedience and empowerment—or was it just choreography?
Lamar’s “40 acres and a mule” reference is an important line to examine. The rapper exclaimed, “It’s a cultural divide, I’ma get it on the floor. 40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music. They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.” The phrase references broken promises made to enslaved people. In 1865, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman issued Special Field Order No. 15, promising freed Black families 40 acres of land to help them build a new life after the Civil War. Some were even given army mules to work the land, offering them a real shot at financial independence. But that promise was short-lived. Later that year, President Andrew Johnson revoked the order, returning the land to its former Confederate owners. These broken promises still echo today, as government injustices continue to disproportionately affect Black communities.
Let’s talk stage layout. The powerful performance took place on what appeared to be a PlayStation controller. Some speculate this was a dig at Drake being signed to Sony, PlayStation’s parent company. I say it’s more meaningful than that.
Given all the inequalities clearly expressed throughout the show, the stage represents the American game—one that is rigged against marginalized groups. This narrative also ties into the prison yard-inspired set design, a nod to the American justice system’s history of mass incarceration, which disproportionately imprisons Black Americans.
While these symbols are subjective, this performance was objectively filled with messages that highlight the reality of being Black in America and the country’s deep-rooted divide. But are we surprised? Lamar literally became the first non-classical or jazz artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music. He’s a lyrical genius. And all of this during Black History Month? Thank you, Kendrick.