Rapper and activist Kendrick Lamar achieved new levels of success last month when he won five Grammy awards on Feb. 2, bringing his total to 22. Just one week later, he performed at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for the 59th Super Bowl halftime show.
127.7 million people tuned in to see the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Nielsen data, breaking the record for the largest Super Bowl viewership. For many, the main event wasn’t the game, but Lamar’s performance instead. An extra 5.8 million viewers tuned in for the halftime performance, according to Billboard.
Throughout Lamar’s performance, he made several digs at fellow rapper Drake, but his biggest target was the political climate of the United States.
He started the performance by saying, “The revolution is about to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy.” This referenced “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron, a 1971 song urging listeners to actively participate in politics rather than passively observing them. The latter part of Lamar’s statement was theorized on the internet to be a jab at former President Donald Trump, whom he criticized in the past for his alleged relations with Russia in songs like “The Heart Part 4.”
Dep Dhar, a first-year computer science major, recognized the political commentary throughout the entire performance.
“It was everywhere– Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam, and then the (dancers dressed as the) American flag,” said Dhar. “Then Kendrick’s messaging about how people think his performance would be too ghetto.”
As Lamar started to perform, Jackson, as Uncle Sam, interrupted him to say, “No, no, no– too loud, too reckless, too ghetto.” The message was clear: Black Americans are too often criticized for their music and actions with derogatory labels and stereotypes.
Lamar’s message has reverberated throughout his music. In “The Blacker the Berry,” Lamar directly addresses racism, rapping, “You hate me don’t you? You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture.” His message of resilience continues in “Alright,” an anthem of hope in the face of systemic racism, police brutality and the challenges faced by Black Americans. Through these songs, Lamar critiques how society stereotypes and polices Black identity, often labeling it as “too much.” He argues, however, that the real issue lies in the systems that uphold these harmful judgments.
Lamar continued his halftime performance by teasing his No. 1 hit “Not Like Us” by playing its opening beats throughout the performance. Before performing the full song he said, “Forty acres and a mule—this is bigger than the music,” referencing the unfulfilled post-Civil War promise to provide formerly enslaved African Americans with land, a symbol of broken commitments to Black Americans.
Along with his poignant lyrics and symbolism, his wardrobe sparked yet another discussion as the bootcut jeans he wore carry historical and political significance. The bootcut style rose in popularity in the 1960s and 70s as the anti-war counterculture movement reached a larger audience, according to Encyclopedia. The jeans were originally worn by Navy sailors, and repurposed as a symbol of freedom and rebellion. Later, they became a staple of any cool teen’s wardrobe in the early 2000s.
Lamar’s bootcut Celine jeans sparked a trend on social media. Many users on TikTok and Instagram attempted to recreate the look with the materials they had on hand. Others joked about pulling their old jeans out of retirement to emulate Lamar’s outfit.
Nearly one month later, Lamar’s halftime show continues to trend in the media, highlighting the impact it had on popular culture. Lamar strutted his jeans and left viewers to reflect on the impactful statements he made in front of the largest audience in the country.
