Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Performance Featured SZA, Serena Williams and More

All hail King Kendrick.

The reigning emcee delivered a Super Bowl halftime performance to remember at New Orleans’ famed Superdome Stadium on Sunday evening. It was a jam-packed, 13-minute performance that included not just a string of hits from the rapper but also a number of star-studded cameos, too. Legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson made an apperance as an “Uncle Sam” character while SZA came out to perform “Luther” and “All The Stars” and tennis icon Serena Williams even popped out for a cool and casual (crip walk) cameo.

Compared to past Super Bowl halftimes, Lamar’s was less flashy and more intentional. He stayed true to his signature style for the big performance, opting for a leather bomber jacket by Martine Rose and light denim jeans, a backwards baseball cap and a glimmering chain for his time gracing the Superdome floor. His dancers were clad in a sea of red, white, and blue sweatsuits—a subtle political statement—as they glided up and down the field throughout the performance.

Of course, Lamar’s now Grammy-winning diss record “Not Like Us”—which won Song and Record of the Year at last week’s Grammy Awards—was performed towards the show’s close while other hits like “Humble”, “Squabble Up” and “TV Off” all had their moments to shine as well. This year’s Super Bowl served as the ultimate victory lap for Lamar who Grammys aside, dominated the cultural conversation in 2024 thanks to a diss track battle for the ages with a certain Canadian superstar followed by his legendary Juneteenth concert in Los Angeles and the surprise release of GNX.

Last fall, the rapper opened up to Harper’s Bazaar about his creative process and the deeper meaning behind “Not Like Us” with his longtime collaborator, friend, and fellow halftime performer, SZA.

“[The song] is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent. Now, if you identify with the man that I represent …This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering,” Lamar told Harper’s Bazaar. “He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes and not be afraid to share the mistakes and can dig deep down into fear-based ideologies or experiences to be able to express them without feeling like he’s less of a man. If I’m thinking of “Not Like Us,” I’m thinking of me and whoever identifies with that.”