By Christina L. Myers
In the September 2024 NFL ad announcing Kendrick Lamar as the halftime performer at Super Bowl 59, the 37-year-old rapper stands before a colossal American flag, feeding footballs into a machine that launches the balls to wide receivers.
“Will you be pulling up? I hope so,” he says, plugging his forthcoming appearance on one of the world’s biggest stages, where the cultural stakes can be as high as the athletic ones. “Wear your best dress too, even if you’re watching from home.”
The casual yet evocative scene was classic Kendrick.
As a world-renowned Grammy- and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist, Lamar stands in a league of his own. His unflinching critiques of racial injustice, systemic inequality and the exploitation of Black culture have made him a boundary-pushing artist and cultural visionary.
My work examines how race and racism are constructed, represented and challenged in mass media, particularly in news, music and sports. I think the NFL’s complicated history with social justice makes his participation even more significant.
With a discography expansive enough to eclipse the time constraints of Sunday’s game, I’m eager to see whether Lamar will weave his lyrical masterpieces into a performance that entertains, educates and challenges viewers.
Sports, politics and backlash
Sports have always been political, despite persistent calls to keep politics out of sports.
The tradition of playing the national anthem before sporting events is but one example: The song is rooted in wartime sorrow and serves as a call to patriotism.
Then there are unsanctioned acts of protests by players and fans. Whenever professional athletes go on strike, it’s political. When fans unfurl banners in support of Palestinians, it’s political.
From Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ fist-raising at the 1968 Olympics in solidarity with Black communities during the Civil Rights Movement, to Muhammad Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, to Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling to protest police brutality, athletes have long used their platforms to confront injustice and challenge norms.
Yet, acts of protest often incite backlash, and the NFL has haphazardly tried to police political speech.
Kaepernick’s protests sparked a national debate about ideas of patriotism and the appropriateness of protest on the playing field. At the same time, NFL owners appeared to effectively blacklist him from the league.
Nick Bosa, a defensive end with the 49ers, was fined for violating a rule forbidding players from wearing clothes conveying “personal messages” when he wore a MAGA hat during a postgame interview in 2024. Meanwhile, NFL owners have donated millions to presidential campaigns, with most of those contributions given to Republican candidates.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
An artist and activist
The Super Bowl halftime show has long been more than just a musical interlude. It’s a stage where cultural and political currents converge.
During Beyoncé’s 2016 appearance alongside headliner Bruno Mars, she paid homage to the Black Panthers, Malcolm X and the Black Lives Matter movement. U2’s act during the 2002 Super Bowl provided a moment of collective mourning and hope for a country still reeling from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. More recently, Dr. Dre’s 2022 performance celebrated hip-hop’s rise from a marginalized genre to a dominant cultural force. Eminem, who also participated in that performance, took a knee on stage to critique the NFL’s treatment of Black athletes and activists.
Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images
To me, Lamar’s Super Bowl appearance symbolizes a broader reckoning with how the NFL handles the tension between politics and corporate entertainment.
That’s because Kendrick Lamar’s artistry is more than just music. It’s activism.
From his Grammy award-winning album “To Pimp a Butterfly” to the raw, introspective, Pulitzer Prize-winning album “DAMN.,” Lamar has consistently confronted themes of systemic oppression, racial injustice and Black life in America.
Tracks like “DNA.” are unapologetic celebrations of Blackness and generational resilience:
I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA
Quarter piece, got war and peace inside my DNA
I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my DNA
I got hustle, though, ambition flow inside my DNA
“The Blacker the Berry” delves into the complexities of Black identity and confronting systemic racism:
I said they treat me like a slave, cah me Black
Woi, we feel whole heap of pain cah we Black
And man a say they put me inna chains cah we Black
And “XXX.” confronts the greed, violence and hypocrisy at the core of American life.
Hail Mary, Jesus and Joseph
The great American flag
Is wrapped and dragged with explosives
Compulsive disorder, sons and daughters
Barricaded blocks and borders, look what you taught us
It's murder on my street
Your street, back streets, Wall Street
Unlike many mainstream artists, Lamar seems to have mastered the delicate balance between commercial success and politically charged content. His genius lies in his ability to write songs that transcend race, gender and class.
At a time when the nation grapples with efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion practices, and as corporate power continues to go unchecked, conversations about race and inequality remain at the fore.
Lamar has never hesitated to confront uncomfortable truths through his music. He has a unique opportunity to merge art, activism and a critique of the nation. I expect this moment will be no exception.
Will you be pulling up? I will.
Christina L. Myers is Assistant Professor of Journalism at Michigan State University.
Shark says
Trump – Lamar and Swift = three reasons not to watch the stupid bowl !!!!
Laurel says
Well, I’m a Swifty, so I would have rather seen her perform at halftime. It would have been a hellova lot better.
Kansas City was just awful! They just kept running down the middle of the crowd. Philadelphia excelled in interceptions, and running around the outskirts. The halftime was just awful as well. I’m not a football fan, and don’t know much about it (more of a Nascar fan) but I gave it a chance.
What was up with the Superbowl 59 logo flashing us every five seconds?
During halftime, I had no idea what the guy was singing (?) so I guess the lyrics being written helps. Also, grabbing one’s crotch is not choreography, in my opinion. Pass. Changed the channel after that.
The dude says
The olds will be here shortly to complain about the halftime show.
Its how things are done around here.
JimboXYZ says
I watched enough of the halftime show to turn the volume down and play my own music. The smarter boomers realize there is no win for sticking around watch a show that is the same as Hip-Hop/Rap always is. That show was going to be the rated “G” for the NFL version & Hip-Hop/Rap loses whatever attraction it even has when the explicit lyrics & concepts that comprise the lyrics have to be cleaned up. It’s like a bad movie, watching it again won’t make it better, it always ends the same way. Sad when the commercials have better music than what the halftime show gets booked for. Lady Gaga’s tribute was watch worthy. For the remainder of the halftime I listened to the 1970’s & 1980’s radio station, 100.9 whatever that radio’s call sign is. Didn’t let the KL show ruin my evening & everyone was happier for it too.
Skibum says
I watched the Super Bowl last night with family, like we do every year. We particularly like to see the commercials, but this year nearly all of them were ho hum and forgettable. But back to the half-time performance, if you could call it that. I have to say that this year’s “talent” provided the absolutely worst half-time show that I have ever grudgingly sat through in my life!
Laurel says
Agreed. Beyonce doing her country album would have been much better. I think she’s done halftime twice before, but the entertainment would have been superior. Lamar may be a poet, that has been established, but maybe his poetry should stick to paper.
Artists have often crossed the accepted lines, especially in modern art, but even the artist who painted a perfect circle (Giotto), or two dimensional art (Hooper), still had the talent to paint more in depth. It didn’t strike me that Lamar would be able to sing if asked to do so, but I don’t know.
TRUTH says
Skibum: You should not comment on something that you don’t know
anything about, just like you dont’ know anything about Drake, 50 CENT,
Usher, etc, etc, etc, As a cracker stick with what you know which is obvious
that you don’t know much.
TRUTH says
Skibum: IT WASN’T SUPPOSE TO ENTERTAIN YOU , it was a POLITICAL STATEMENT!
As your white privilege comes shinning through!
Laurel says
Dear *Truth*: There is no doubt that there is white privilege, but let’s keep something else in perspective, and that is there are more dedicated black stations that you can shake your cracker stick at:
365BLK
The Africa Channel
Aspire TV (American TV network)
BET
BET Gospel
BET Her
BET Hip-Hop
BET Jams
BET Soul
Black Family Channel
Black News Channel
Bounce TV
Dabl
Fox Soul
TheGrio
NoireTV
Oprah Winfrey Network
Revolt (TV network)
SHO×BET
Soul of the South Television
TV One (American TV channel)
UPN
VH1
We TV
Zeus Network
Your black privilege is shining through.
dave says
The worst half time performance yet. Even out TV captions couldn’t tell us what he and some of his guest were saying. The whole thing was a personal vendetta against this guy named Drake.,
Now the game, perfect ending.
Cindy says
Lamar + Eagles = Two reasons NOT to watch the Superbowl.
@Dude, I’m not old far from it and the half time show was exactly what I though it was going to be CRAP. No it’s not how things are done here. There are people who watch the game for the commercials (which I can’t even remember one of them) and the half time entertainment and I was one of them until I actually started to enjoy watching football so yes it was exactly what I though it would be. In fact the entire show from beginning to end sucked. Now, I don’t watch the game until the ball is kicked at the start and then back to it after the half time show. I really am sick and tired of all the celebs and musicians making statements instead of actually entertaining. How disappointing it has become.
I am a Kansas City Chiefs fan, and I am a Travis and Taylor fan no matter who she stands by the way of politics.
Laurel says
Cindy: When it comes to pecking orders, people love to blame others for their lives, and put the others below them. For Dude, it’s seniors.
Whatayagonnado?
MeToo says
I absolutely love Samuel L Jackson. The half time show showed great rap talent. It is what it is. Get over yourselves. We all have opinions.
The Chiefs let me down. SIX sacks?!? Very disappointing game.
Congrats to the E A G L E S!
Why can’t we just get along…..
Skibum says
Oh dear Truth… your “truth” about me and what I know about and what I don’t know about is not anywhere near the truth if you want me to be honest. Since you seem to know so much about me, how is it that you don’t know, for instance, that I am in an inter-racial marriage to a person of color, or that I adore many black artist’s music? As Laurel commented on above, I too would have loved to have watched Beyonce perform in this year’s Super Bowl halftime show instead of Lamar. There are many names I could have preferred to watch. Samuel L. Jackson was entertaining, and even him alone doing something would have been better in my estimation than watching that boring and unimaginative rap artist! I guess I just don’t appreciate modern culture, because rap music, regardless of the race of the person doing it, is just a bunch of mumbo jumbo to me… as well as my spouse!!!
Laurel says
Skibum, you get more and more interesting every day! You’re still one of my BFFs! :)
TRUTH says
Skibum: we have seen you morph yourself into many different
disguises on FL also with your political views, WILL THE REAL
SKIBUM PLEASE STAND UP!
Laurel says
*Truth*: Nah, I’ve seen him to be consistent in philosophy, just more in depth in personality. I’ll stand up for him.
Jackson says
None of the dancers were white because we’ve done away with DEI and all the open positions were filled by the most qualified people!!!!!
Skibum says
Truth… I’m not morphing myself into anything! I am who I am, the same today as I have been for a very long time. Just because you don’t know me (nor do I know you or anything about you), you want to pigeonhole me into some perceived persona and then attack me because of something I stated which conflicts with your pre-conceived notion of who I SHOULD be. That is YOUR personal bias, and issue to deal with, not mine. As for me, I am certainly not ashamed of the person I am… Caucasian, gay, retired law enforcement with a specific liberal bent, and married to my wonderful African-American husband for just under 33 years now. Other than that, I don’t feel the need to explain or justify myself to anyone, thank you very much.
TRUTH says
Skibum: DON’T JUST STAND LETS GET TO IT STRIKE A POSE THERE’S NOTHING
TO IT, VOGUE , DOUBLE SNAP , Me think you would be more for clean air, a clean
envirorment for the protection of nature and wildlife, and rooting for marginalized people,
your views don’t match your proclaimed persona, Societies are judged not how they treat the
strongest ( and richest) but how they treat the weakest in their midst.
Laurel says
Oh well, whatayagonnado?
Sherry says
@TRUTH. . . Skibum has been defending many different “liberal” causes on this site for several years now. He is consistently one of the most intelligent, reasonable, factual voices for people of color and those who are marginalized. Skibum points out the cruelty and hypocrisy of the far right nationalists and Maga Cult members. Might I suggest that you do a bit more research before you so quickly “judge” a valuable member of Flagler’s liberal community, especially over “One” entertainer’s performance.
TRUTH says
@Sherry…for a liberal bent self proclaimed individual he sure did not
understand as he calls it rap “mumbo jumbo” even that label is
derogatory and offensive to black culture. The term he used
in itself is racist as the words has African roots! He made a
statement that is potentially offensive or harmful due to his lack
of knowledge about rap and its history. He is the one that should
be doing the research before he makes such offensive comments
about rap culture as he was the one who was quick to judge it, I was
defending it so lets get this straight!
TRUTH says
Laurel: Swift is “main steam” bubblegum music that is not for
old farts like you! Plus you know you can’t dance.You wish
you had the moves of Megan Thee Stallion, Lil’ Kim, or Missy
Elliot. SNAP, SNAP! Stop embarrassing yourself by saying
anything else, LOL
TRUTH says
Laurel: your comment alone about “dedicated Black stations” is racist
in itself! It took close to 200 years of for African Americans to gain equal rights!
Your comment : ” grabbing one’s crotch is not choreography, in my opinion.”
You surely took a good look at that and not the message, seems that you have a bigger
problem then Lamar’s half time. It’s Black History Month, go educate yourself!
Laurel says
Your reference to “cracker” says all I need to know.