After Watching Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Show, Here Are Three Things I Loved And One I Didn't

Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance had a lot of hype to live up to, thanks in no small part to his many recent Grammy wins and feud with fellow rap superstar Drake. It's been a wild year for K-Dot, and that all seemed evident in his spirited performance that featured SZA and more, which will no doubt be the most-watched event on the 2025 TV schedule.

With artists like Lil Wayne miffed they were overlooked for the chance to play in New Orleans, Kendrick Lamar kept his head up and focused on delivering the best show possible. I think he did that for the most part, though I'll say there's one element I felt fell short.

I Loved Samuel L. Jackson Bringing The Right Energy As "Uncle Sam"

The first (and frankly only) surprise of the 2025 Apple Music Halftime Show was that Kendrick Lamar enlisted actor Samuel L. Jackson as "Uncle Sam" to help narrate the performance and support the transition between songs. I loved the patriotic costume, which matched up well with the interpretive dance number, and I thought it added some artistic flair to a stage performance that was more toned down aesthetically than in past years.

Kendrick Couldn't Rap All Of "Not Like Us" Himself, But The Crowd Helped Him Out

While I'm not sure if it was tied to Drake's latest legal action or not, Kendrick Lamar balked at calling his rap rival a "certified pedophile" on live television. Fortunately, the crowd didn't have the same hesitation, as they recited the song of last summer loud enough to be heard on broadcast, especially when it came to the "A Minor" lyric.

While we aren't sure if the Certified Lover Boy was watching or not, no doubt his legal team was taking notes and we'll see if any further action is taken following the performance.

Ending On "TV Off" Was Just As Hype As I Hoped

While "Not Like Us" is the Grammy-winning golden child in pop culture, I think it's obvious his latest hit "TV Off" was the hype anthem to end on. I had hopes it'd be the final song, but given the popularity of the Drake diss, I feared that it wouldn't hit with the same energy as a follow-up. I was happy to be wrong and glad it made for the perfect finale to a solid performance.

My One Gripe: I Think Kendrick Could've Featured More Artists And Classic Hits

I can understand that Kendrick Lamar wants to promote as many songs as possible off his latest album, GNX, but I felt the performance was uneven compared to some of the songs he's been known for over the years. Sure, we had the radio-friendly past hits off DNA and the Black Panther soundtrack, but as a fan, I was upset we didn't get a performance of older hits like "A.D.H.D," "Collard Greens," or "Backseat Freestyle."

And while I love SZA, I was certainly hoping to see him collaborate with past rappers like ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Future, The Weeknd. Don't get me wrong, I was well aware that Taylor Swift wasn't taking the stage to perform "Bad Blood," but it was disappointing to see the features in this performance largely empty, considering how past artists have leaned on surprising cameos.

Even so, I would rank Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance among one of the best I've seen, but I'm biased as a longtime fan. Even so, Usher set a high bar in the previous year, and I think Kendrick raised it, but I would love to know what readers have to say.