No Half Measures at Halftime: The Message Behind Kendrick Lamar’s Performance

By Uma Cormier-Marri

Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show has sparked a lot of discourse surrounding the politics of performance, specifically Super Bowl performances. While everyone is paying attention to the controversy, let’s look at the history.

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Apple Music Halftime Show was infused with countless references and acknowledgements to his audience, which made it clear what he wanted us to “hear.” In between the songs he performed, “Uncle Sam,” played by Samuel L. Jackson, who interjected with provocative lines that carried the storyline of the performance. The backup dancers, all dressed in red, white, and blue to resemble an American flag, enhanced the messaging of the performance. Thus, Lamar’s performance in the Super Bowl LIX utilized the rhetorical tradition of Black Language to connect with many members of his audience, Black Americans.

Across his music, but especially during that performance, Lamar uses specific aspects of Black Language, embodying a neglected past and layered meaning, to strengthen his connection to listeners. The use of these two aspects successfully united Lamar and his audience on an emotional level and ensured that his audience was captivated by his performance. One aspect of Black Language that is extremely evident in Lamar’s past works and performances is layered meaning. In a 2025 interview with the NFL, held specifically for his upcoming Super Bowl performance, Lamar tells Timothée Chalamet, “With my projects it always be that one record I feel like that I want everyone to hear …. in order to push the narrative or just the message and tone that I want to get across” (NFL, 2025). With this statement, Lamar effectively communicates the intention of his performances and suggests that interpretations of his works are not exaggerated and unlikely. We can see his thoughtfulness in the way that Lamar acknowledges his taking into consideration, “narrative,” “message,” and “tone.” The deliberate planning of his performances indicates a clear desire for connection with his audience, and results in performances that go beyond just music, performances that are intertwined with layers upon layers of meaning.

The entire character of “Uncle Sam” in this halftime show serves as an ironic reminder of how people commonly view the history of the United States. T. Clark calls him, “patriotism personified: the military recruitment propaganda character” (Clark, 2025, para 7). The popularity of “Uncle Sam” as an American personality and character connects the audience to the performance, while also representing the past of this country. The character himself may not necessarily serve as a reminder of the mistreatment and neglect of African Americans in the United States, but his role in the show certainly does.

Uncle Sam’s interruptions and introductions carry a tone of instigation and condescension. After beginning the performance by telling Lamar he was playing, “The great American Game,” he then interrupts Lamar’s performance with “No no no no / too loud / too reckless / too ghetto!!!” The term “ghetto” is often used to describe “dirty,” “poor,” and “dangerous” neighborhoods. “Uncle Sam” speaking this line to Lamar, while also interrupting Lamar’s performance as he is surrounded by people of color, reflects the way that African Americans have often been spoken to and treated throughout American history. “Ghetto” is by no means an outdated term, and Lamar acknowledges oppression by using it in his performance, as he is aware that the term “ghetto” is frequently used to marginalize African Americans.

In a moment of high suspense, before Lamar transitions into his most anticipated song of the night – “They Not Like Us” – he throws in the line “40 acres and a mule / this is bigger than the music.” The phrase “40 acres” is a reference to Field Order No. 15, where black citizens were promised around 400,000 acres of land previously owned by Confederates. The promise was not fulfilled. These lines are not a lyric in any of Lamar’s music, so including them before his most awaited song in the performance caught people’s attention. The phrase “bigger than the music” has a uniting tone, almost directly implying community. By explicitly calling out a way that the country has failed Black citizens, and then calling to unite them, Lamar forms an emotional tie based on history and support.

My analysis of Kendrick Lamar’s performances, specifically his rhetoric and use of rhetorical traditions, is not the only perspective available. However, scholars and students whom choose to study Lamar’s performances and music tend to agree with my perspective more often than not. In fact, many responses have indirectly looked at his performances through the same lens as I have, without the label. When analyzing a performance of Lamar’s, N. Lowman (2022) states, “Lamar uses the opportunity to perform to huge audiences to initiate and participate in a rhetorical exchange that is informed by and contributes to ongoing debates about state-sanctioned killings of Black Americans, violence within Black communities, the role of hip hop, and American history” (Lowman, 2022, p. 66). Lowman’s assertion reflects on how Lamar embodies a neglected past, specifically how he “contributes” to debates, indicating a layer of connection while also mentioning the ways in which black communities have been mistreated and oppressed. This author can see how Kendrick Lamar connects with his audience through advocating for Black Americans and educating his audience about their history.

Kendrick Lamar put on an incredible show for almost all of America to watch. At the time of his performance, the stakes were high. He was involved in a public feud with another celebrity, and a new president had just been elected. Nevertheless, his halftime show managed to connect with millions of Americans around the country. Lamar did not shy away from saying what he wanted to say, in order to make sure that the people he wanted to listen were the people who heard him.

References

Clark, T. (February 14, 2025). Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show Was Radically Political, if You Knew Where to Look. New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/opinion/kendrick-lamar-halftime-art.html

NFL. (Feburary 7, 2025) Kendrick Lamar and Timotheé Chalamet’s Exclusive Interview Ahead of #AppleMusicHalftime. #SBLIX. [Video] Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdOxSAVhGwQ

Lowman, N. (2022). The Political Efficacy of Kendrick Lamar’s Performance Rhetoric. Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric, 12(2), 65-78 http://contemporaryrhetoric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Lowman_12_2_3.pdf