After months of waiting, Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated Super Bowl Halftime Show just aired, live from the New Orleans Superdome. Lamar is the first solo rapper to hold the honor of performing during the halftime show, according to NME. The score was 24-0 in favor of the Philadelphia Eagles, which set the stage for the powerhouse rapper to deliver a jaw-dropping performance. The show opened on Samuel L. Jackson, who was dressed in a suit donned with stars and stripes and declared himself “Uncle Sam” before introducing Lamar. The field was divided into stages and was continuously rearranged as the set played out.

Lamar opened with an unreleased track that left the audience speechless; his dancers – monochromatically dressed in red, white and blue – came pouring out of a black Buick Grand National Experimental parked onstage. Lamar seamlessly transitioned into “Squabble Up” as the crowd roared behind him. Lamar went on to perform several of his biggest hits, including “HUMBLE,” “DNA” and “Euphoria,” as well as “Luther” and “All the Stars” with SZA (who Lamar will be going on tour with in the spring). Throughout the set, Lamar continued to tease the audience with a performance of his Grammy Award-winning song “Not Like Us” – even saying “You know they love to sue,” a reference to the lawsuit Drake filed alleging that Universal Music Group inflated the streaming numbers for the diss track – which he saved for the end.

“I want to play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.”

— Kendrick Lamar during the #SuperBowl halftime show. pic.twitter.com/CXFeEIjvB3

— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 10, 2025

While the crowd was understandably enthralled with the track being performed, Lamar noticeably left out some key lyrics from the song. The song was written to purposefully a diss of Drake; that said, many of the lyrics were replaced by Federal Communications Commission-friendly lines that allowed the performance to be broadcast in full. However, many were disappointed to hear that Lamar omitted everyone’s favorite lyric: “Certified lover boy? Certified pedophile,” a riff on Drake’s 2021 album Certified Lover Boy.

KENDRICK LAMAR
NOT LIKE US

🚨LIVE AT THE #SUPERBOWL🚨pic.twitter.com/Kp9SviGWW0

— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) February 10, 2025

Lamar’s decision to omit the lyric was certainly a business decision. However, this decision did not stop Lamar from allowing the audience to sing along to the lyric “Tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably A minor…” with no hesitation, not to mention the surprise appearance from Serena Williams dancing in the foreground.

Serena Williams makes an appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us” at the #SuperBowlLIX halftime show pic.twitter.com/3LzvubFcWs

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 10, 2025

Lamar rounded off his set by performing “TV Off” alongside producer DJ Mustard, who showed off his large diamond “M” chain while holding a football as he danced.

Lamar has previously performed at the Halftime Show as a guest during Dr. Dre’s all-star set in 2022 – which included appearances from Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and 50 Cent.

Last year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was headlined by Usher, who was joined on stage by Alicia Keys, H.E.R. and Will.i.am. In 2023, Rihanna played a career-spanning set at the major event. Her slot would go on to become the most-watched Halftime Show in history.

In other news, last week’s Grammys ceremony saw Lamar take home five awards for “Not Like Us,” including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Lamar surprise-released his sixth and latest album GNX last November, with features from SZA, Kamasi Washington, Jack Antonoff and more.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna