On Sunday, September 8th, the NFL announced that rap artist Kendrick Lamar will be headlining the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in New Orleans. The performance, which will occur on February 9th, 2025 at Caesars Superdome, will not be Lamar’s first Halftime Show appearance. He performed at Super Bowl LVI in 2022 alongside Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent. However, Super Bowl LIX will be his first time headlining.
Since his emergence as a freestyle rapper in the early aughts, Kendrick Lamar has come to be known as one of the most influential artists of his generation. The Compton native first achieved commercial success in 2013 with the release of his second studio album, good kid, m.A.A.d city. His poetic lyricism and thoughtful social commentary drew comparisons from critics to West Coast hip hop legends like 2Pac and Dr. Dre. Since then, Lamar has released three more studio albums—To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), DAMN. (2017), and Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022)—all to overwhelmingly positive critical acclaim. He is one of the most decorated rappers of all time, having been awarded 14 Grammys in the past decade and a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for DAMN.
The NFL’s announcement comes just a few short months after Lamar’s beef with Canadian rapper Drake, an event that sent shockwaves through the rap community this past spring. Lamar released four diss tracks against his opponent: “euphoria”, “6:16 in LA”, “meet the grahams” and “Not Like Us.” “Not Like Us” rapidly became Lamar’s most popular song to date, debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching 100 million streams on Spotify within two weeks of its release.
In a short video on Instagram posted on September 8th to announce his upcoming Super Bowl performance, Lamar stands calmly in front of a large American flag. As he fires footballs from an automatic throwing machine, he says, “You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos,” subtly referencing his feud with Drake. Fans of Lamar immediately reacted on social media, praising the NFL’s choice.
Despite the initial reaction, some are upset that New Orleans-based rapper Lil Wayne was not chosen instead. Given that Super Bowl LIX will take place in New Orleans, many, including “Queen of Rap” Nicki Minaj, have blamed rapper Jay-Z for Lil Wayne’s snub. Jay-Z’s agency Roc Nation became a co-producer of the Halftime show after partnering with the NFL in 2019, allowing them to play a role in the selection of performers. In a video posted on Instagram on September 13th discussing the decision, Lil Wayne said, “It broke me, and I’m just trying to put me back together.”
