Kendrick Lamar performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show Photo Credit: Fox
By Reice Shipley on

After sweeping all five categories he was nominated for at the 2025 Grammys, Kendrick Lamar carried over his fanfare into the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. And as you may expect, Lamar’s performance was as polarizing as we have seen in recent memory.

Like any Super Bowl, Lamar’s performance featured a number of pop culture icons.

Perhaps the most prominent was Samuel Jackson, who kicked off the halftime show dressed as Uncle Sam before Lamar took the stage.

The performance also had one significant sports tie, as retired tennis star Serena Williams actually served as a background dancer during Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us”.

Lamar has never been one to shy away from controversy, particularly when it comes to perhaps his biggest hit “Not Like Us,” a direct shot at fellow rap artist Drake that includes a number of derogatory allegations against him.

As a result, Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group, Lamar’s record label, last month for defamation and harassment for releasing and promoting “Not Like Us”.

Instead of staying away from addressing Drake in his performance, he took a public shot at him by referencing how Drake “likes to sue” prior to performing “Not Like Us.”

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

Plenty of sports media members loved the performance, highlighting how Lamar got a big pop from the crowd when it came to “Not Like Us”.

On the other hand, Lamar’s music didn’t exactly appeal to the older generation of sports media personalities.

Others simply pointed out the elephant in the room, which is how humiliating it likely was for Drake to hear Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us” while watching at home.

While Lamar’s performance may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, he certainly made a statement. So while he may not gain all that many new fans, he perhaps went even further in strengthening the avid fanbase he already has.

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley