Kendrick dances on Drake’s grave, Serena Williams joins in

Kendrick Lamar kicked off his Super Bowl half-time show atop a 1987 Buick Grand National GNX, the rare car for which he named his latest album, GNX. Climbing down from the roof, Lamar eyeballed the camera and declared: “The revolution is about to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy.”

In some ways, Lamar was right.

Kendrick Lamar performs during half-time of the NFL Super Bowl.Credit: AP

There has hardly been a more relevant artist over the past year; his 2024 feud with fellow rapper Drake hijacked the cultural narrative and led to the release of Not Like Us, a scathing diss track worthy of five Grammy wins.

There’s no denying Kendrick is the man of the moment, but was he the wrong man for this one?

Unsurprisingly, the lead-up to this performance was dominated by speculation surrounding Not Like Us.

The thumping track, featuring accusations that Drake sleeps with underage girls, is one of the biggest songs of Lamar’s career, however, it’s also the subject of a lawsuit. Drake denies the allegations in the song and is suing Universal Music Group, which represents both men, for defamation.

Kendrick Lamar performs at half-time of the Super Bowl clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs lost, much to the disappointment of Taylor Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce. Credit: The Age

The “will-he/won’t-he?” distraction refused to go away. Lamar took to the stage, introduced by Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam. Flanked by dancers in red, white and blue, he mixed old and new, bouncing between Squabble Up, Humble and DNA.

The nature of a half-time show means you have a little bit of time to cover a whole lot of ground. For some artists, this is fine. Rihanna and Usher can race through the hits and make everyone happy.

Lamar is a different kind of artist. As talented as he is, intricate lyrics rapped at warp speed will always struggle to deliver the “spectacle” viewers crave.

There were moments for sure – the SZA interlude was smouldering, the pair performing All the Stars. Yet the show felt like an exercise in suspended momentum, boosted by Lamar’s teasing. “I want to perform my favourite song,” he said midway through. “But they like to sue.”

Look away now, Drake. Kendrick Lamar played Not Like Us while the whole world watched.Credit: Getty Images

This all primed the global audience for an inevitable finish. When it arrived, it was just as satisfying (or mortifying if your name is Drake) as expected.

Lamar quickly put to bed any idea he would go easy, smiling at the camera while name-checking Drake with the first verse: “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young, you better not ever go to cell block one.” Lamar avoided the word paedophile, but by the time the stadium yelled out “probably A minor”, the damage was done.

Adding insult to injury, Serena Williams, a one-time rumoured love interest of Drake, crip walked on stage, singing along.

Lamar then rushed through new track TV Off, before abruptly closing the set. King Kenny knew what the people were there to see, and having delivered it, he seemed happy to leave it there.

Will it go down as the greatest half-time show of all time? Unlikely. Will Kendrick Lamar care? No, he’s not like us.

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