Rapper Kendrick Lamar Heads Super Bowl Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar, fresh off his five Grammy wins, headlined the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, becoming the first solo rapper to do so, NBC News reports.

The performance at the Superdome featured guest appearances by SZA and DJ Mustard.

Actor Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as a modern-day Uncle Sam, made surprise appearances throughout the show, introducing songs and keeping the energy high. Tennis star Serena Williams also made a cameo during the performance.

Lamar opened the show atop a black Grand National car, performing “gnx” before transitioning into “squabble up.” He then performed an earlier hit, “HUMBLE.” Dressed in a red, white, and blue bomber jacket, bell bottom jeans, and sneakers, the Compton, California native was surrounded by dancers also clad in the nation’s colors, who at one point formed a human American flag onstage.

Following performances of “DNA” and “Euphoria,” SZA joined Lamar onstage for “luther” and “All the Stars,” wearing a matching red ensemble.

Later in the set, Lamar performed “Not Like Us,” a diss track that contributed to his recent Grammy wins. The song, aimed at Canadian rapper Drake, was met with enthusiastic singing from the crowd. The performance comes amid an ongoing feud between the two artists, which recently saw Drake file a federal lawsuit against Universal Music Group, alleging defamation related to the promotion of “Not Like Us.” A UMG spokesperson has refuted the allegations.

DJ Mustard joined Lamar for the final number, “tv off,” as the words “GAME OVER” appeared in lights over the field.

Lamar’s performance follows a successful period, having surprise-released his most recent album, “GNX,” on Nov. 22. “GNX” features the new song, “squabble up,” which was teased in the “Not Like Us” music video.

Lamar last performed at the Super Bowl in 2022 alongside other rappers and hip-hop musicians in a West Coast-themed show at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium.

He is one of the most decorated rap artists, with 22 Grammy Awards and 29 BET Awards. In 2018, he won a Pulitzer Prize for music, the first musician to earn the title outside the classical or jazz genres. “GNX” follows Lamar’s 2022 album, “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers,” and features SZA on two tracks.