‘The revolution bout’ to be televised you picked the right time but the wrong guy.’ Kendrick Lamar Dominates Super Bowl LIX with Historic Performance
‘Say Drake’ – Kendrick Smerk | Photo Edited by Kat Tabor
Kendrick Lamar made history at Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 in New Orleans, weeks after securing five Grammy Awards. Opening atop a car at the Superdome, he delivered a politically charged set that reignited his decade-long feud with Drake.
Despite Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Lamar’s diss track "Not Like Us" Lamar performed the song, omitting one controversial word but maintaining its impact. This move solidified his dominance in hip-hop’s battle culture.
Their rivalry escalated in 2024 after Lamar rejected Drake’s "Big Three" claim in "Like That." Drake retaliated with "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle," using AI-generated voices of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, which drew backlash and resulted in the song being removed for personality rights reasons. He later released "Family Matters" Which Lamar fired back with "Euphoria," "6:16 in LA," which has since been deleted, and "Meet the Grahams," accusing Drake of hiding a secret child. "Not Like Us" became a cultural phenomenon, winning multiple Grammys, including Record and Song of the Year.
Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was both a victory lap and a statement. He opened with tracks from his latest album GNX before transitioning to hits from DAMN. Midway through his set, he declared, "The revolution bout’ to be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy," paying homage to Gil Scott-Heron’s song “Revolution Will Not Be Televised”.
Special guest SZA joined Lamar to perform "Luther" and "All the Stars," adding depth to the show. Snippets of "Not Like Us" were teased throughout before the final explosive performance of the song, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The audience chanted "a minor" in unison at one of the track’s most notorious lines as Lamar smirked directly into the camera after saying, "Say Drake."
The biggest shock came when Olympic gold medalist tennis player Serena Williams made a surprise appearance, crip walking onstage in a nod to their shared Compton roots. Both SZA and Serena Williams, who are ex-girlfriends of Drake, added another layer of shade as they joined in the diss track performance, dancing on a literal "X." and The performance closed with "TV Off," as the words "GAME OVER" flashed across the screen, seemingly putting an exclamation mark on Lamar’s feud with Drake.
Samuel L. Jackson, portraying Uncle Sam, made recurring appearances throughout the show as a symbolic representation of America, countering Lamar’s message with remarks like, "Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto." Meanwhile, backup dancers dressed in red, white, and blue repeatedly formed the American flag, emphasizing Lamar’s critique of systemic oppression. Lamar’s use of Uncle Sam also served as a direct response to Drake’s track “Family Matters”, where he tauntingly asks, “Where is your uncle at?”
Despite the performance’s overwhelming impact, The US Sun reported the NFL regretted selecting Lamar over Lil Wayne. However, the night’s undeniable significance ensured Lamar’s Super Bowl appearance will be remembered as one of the most iconic in history.
