Kendrick Lamar took center stage at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. He made history as the first solo rapper to headline the event. Introduced by Samuel L. Jackson, who was clad in an Uncle Sam outfit, Jackson described the halftime show as part of “the great American game.” Lamar kicked off his performance standing on the hood of a car, mirroring the cover of his album, beginning with the track “Bodies” from his GNX teaser. He smoothly transitioned into “Squabble Up” followed by a medley of hits spanning his career. The performance is available for replay below and on YouTube.
Jackson reappeared, this time to playfully berate Lamar for being “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” challenging him with the words, “Do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!” In response, Lamar launched into the beloved track “Humble.” from his album Damn., accompanied by all-Black dancers in red, white, and blue, forming a massive American flag. He then moved on to perform “DNA.” from the same album and his recent single “Euphoria,” strolling past a mockup of a field and a giant light post. Jackson continued his playful critiques, now dubbing Lamar and his team a “culture cheat code.”
The stage then lit up with red lights as Lamar performed “Man at the Garden” and “Peekaboo” from GNX, both marking their live debut. The stage was relatively simple as dancers encircled him. During the outro of “Peekaboo,” Lamar began to tease “Not Like Us,” but cut it short, eliciting cheers from the crowd, humorously remarking, “I wanna perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.”
As previously announced, SZA joined Lamar on the field to perform “Luther” from GNX and their collaborative track “All the Stars” from the Black Panther soundtrack. Dressed in patriotic glitter, Jackson returned to praise Lamar, shouting, “That’s what America wants! Nice and calm! You’re almost there, now don’t mess this—” before being interrupted by the hook from “Not Like Us.”
Backup dancers queried Lamar if he was ready to continue, to which he confidently replied by rapping a new verse from “Not Like Us,” proclaiming, “This is bigger than the music. They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.” The stadium resonated with “Not Like Us,” as dancers formed rotating concentric circles around him, and tennis icon Serena Williams danced off-stage to the controversial track.
To conclude the vibrant set, DJ Mustard joined Lamar onstage, enveloping him in an embrace as “TV Off” from GNX played, featuring Lamar shouting his name—a moment that quickly became a meme. The performance ended in unison with Lamar repeating “Turn his TV off,” just as the stadium and viewers’ screens went black. The camera then zoomed out to reveal the stage designed as a tic-tac-toe board, illuminated with the words “GAME OVER” in the crowd.
The creative direction for the halftime show was managed by pgLang, Lamar’s venture with Dave Free. Diversified Production Services produced the telecast, with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Jesse Collins as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton directing. Roc Nation also served as the strategic entertainment advisor for the performance.
Lamar’s halftime show followed the surprise release of his November album, GNX, and a successful run at the 2025 Grammy Awards, where “Not Like Us” helped him win in all five categories he was nominated. This performance also came amid a federal lawsuit Drake filed against Universal Music Group over the promotion of “Not Like Us,” with Drake’s team criticizing UMG for undermining real-world issues under the guise of entertainment. Lamar first debuted at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2022 in Inglewood, California, alongside several other artists.
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Naomi lives and breathes music. From underground indie artists to global pop icons, she’s always got her ear to the streets.