For those of you who thought Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show wasn’t special — think again. From the very beginning until the end, Lamar hid levels of symbolism spanning his feud with Canadian rapper Drake while also dispelling American exceptionalism and reminding the audience the United States was built by Black Americans, all in front of current President Donald Trump who axed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the federal level and claimed critical race theory an “inherently racist policy.”
This Super Bowl halftime show broke records and became the most-watched in history with an estimated 134 million viewers.
Actor Samuel L. Jackson repeatedly interrupted the performance as “Uncle Sam,” the national personification of the U.S. He challenged Lamar several times, calling his music “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto” and even asked him if he “really knows how to play the game.” Meanwhile, Lamar’s Black dancers are dressed in red, white and blue, resembling the country’s patriotic colors. Immediately after Uncle Sam’s first challenge, Lamar starts singing “HUMBLE.” as his dancers stand in the familiar pattern of the U.S. flag. The iconic line of this track is “Sit down, be humble,” and through his lyrics, Lamar may be commenting on American exceptionalism.
This is not the first time critical race theory has been used to comment on American exceptionalism, nor is it the first time Republicans have criticized this. The New York Times’ 1619 Project aimed to reframe American history from the perspective of slavery. Conservatives quickly labeled this project and the journalists involved as “anti-American leftists.” Tom Cotton, a Republican Senator in Arkansas, even introduced a bill banning the project and critical race theory from school curriculums.
It wasn’t the project’s factual details that conservatives found objectionable, but rather its ideological implications that America was built by slaves. These ideas challenged the American exceptionalist dogma: the idea that America can do — or has done — nothing wrong. Lamar might be telling us and our government to “be humble,” and realize and learn from our violent history. But, there’s more to this scene.
It’s important to note that Lamar divides the flag — he stands in a clear line down the middle of both sides of the flag. He is saying our nation is divided, and he’s not wrong.
In the 2024 popular vote, President Donald Trump won over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris by roughly 1%. The increasing polarization of the U.S. is due to many factors, one of which is the rise of partisan news and media due to the proliferation of communication sources and cognitive dissonance. Approximately 94% of Fox News viewers identify as Republican or leaning right, whereas 63% of CNN viewers identify as Democrat or leaning left. Fox News is also the Republicans’ most-trusted network and the Democrats’ least-trusted one.
The colors Lamar’s dancers wear do not just represent America but also evoke the Bloods and Crips of the rapper’s Los Angeles, Calif. hometown. The Bloods and Crips are two street gangs that have been in a gang war since around 1971. At a point during the performance, the red, white and blue dancers swirl around one another, which could signal unity. Despite their differences and hatred, they unite for progress and change.
Unity is needed for a revolution.
Jackson interrupts this unity, saying, “Oh you brought your homeboys with you, the old culture cheat code. Scorekeeper, deduct one life.” This could be referring to the FBI assassination of Fred Hampton, who unified local Chicago gangs in the fight for civil rights and an end to racial police brutality. The “deduct one life” carries significant weight, rooted in a violent past and present where powerful white governments have systematically worked to oppress Black communities and silence those who challenge their authority.
The performance then transitioned to SZA’s subdued feature after Lamar sang “peekaboo.” Jackson responds to this calm change of pace and attitude by saying, “This is what America wants. Nice and calm.” This might be a nod to how peaceful protests are often met with violence both globally and at home.
During the nationwide Black Lives Matter demonstrations, law enforcement misused tear gas and excessive force on peaceful protestors in various cities. As protests stir up again in response to the Trump administration, Trump has explicitly mentioned that he won’t shy away from using military force to quell protesters. It’s not crazy to interpret that Lamar is resisting the government in his performance.
In fact, Lamar says, “40 acres and a mule, how this is bigger than music,” and, “You can rig the game, but you can’t rig the influence,” which is a direct response to how the U.S. government and its system were created.
The phrase “40 acres and a mule” refers to Special Field Order No. 15, an unfulfilled promise to formerly enslaved Black people that they would receive land and resources to help them become economically self-sufficient. By mentioning this, Lamar urges us to reflect on the legacy of unfulfilled promises and systemic inequality, especially at a time when the U.S. has fallen by 11 points in the Freedom in the World index, signaling a declining democracy.
In these times, Lamar is reminding us to stand up for what we believe in despite the potential consequences.
Zül-Qarnain Nantambu, one of the dancers in the halftime performance, held up Sudanese and Palestinian flags with a black heart painted next to the countries’ names. He was detained by the police, but no arrest was made. This wasn’t planned in the original performance.
Despite Lamar and his entertainment company being under wraps about Nantambu’s plans, it falls in line with Lamar’s theme of resistance. Lamar ultimately flips the “us versus them” narrative, bringing power back to the people to collectively create change.
As Lamar quoted Gil Scott-Heron, “the revolution will be televised.”
