Kendrick Lamar has made Hip-Hop culture stand at attention for the last year. Many consider he and Drake to be G.O.A.T. contenders of the culture. A long-standing battle between the two artists has drawn lots of attention. No matter how one may feel about the battle, Lamar used the Super Bowl LIX stage to create a story that will change the battle rap landscape forever.
Battle Rap is a part of the Hip-Hop game where clever rhymes and theatrics have been used to one-up a competitor with showmanship. We all know the Super Bowl is one of the grandest stages to deliver a dominant show seen by millions.
After Kendrick Lamar collected five Grammy awards, Super Bowl LIX was the next grand stage of his great career to conquer. This is an honor not many artists get to achieve and Kendrick used this opportunity to further cement his name in Hip-Hop conversation for years to come. A conversation that not only will talk about who is the greatest ever, but how to use showmanship to always be remembered in the conversation.
During the halftime show, Kendrick did songs from his newly released album GNX. He brought out his musical muse SZA to connect on the chemistry they created from their previous Marvel’s Black Panther soundtrack hit, “All The Stars”. Performing good music is a given, but the show is the key to being remembered, and Kendrick did that with the many references that created a battle statement with his performance.
Samuel L. Jackson appeared as “Uncle Sam,” and gave commentary throughout Kendrick Lamar’s performance. He represented the sentiments of mainstream music in America. He reminded Kendrick to “play the game”, by performing hits and giving the people what they want.
Kendrick’s performance was littered with references that were game-changing, like using the Squid Games set. The “X” in Squid games is a reference to end competition and it was highlighted during the performance. Kendrick Lamar’s dancers dressed in the colors of the American Flag, red, white, and blue. The dancers not only represented gang colors in California Street culture, they created the flag to symbolize the need for unity in the country as well.
With people debating if “Not Like Us” would be performed, Kendrick hinted at it during the show. When he finally performed the track the crowd made it known that it was what they wanted to hear. Drake is known for his ability to stay at the top of the charts, and this song stopped a lot of his momentum. The hate for Drake has not only come from his success, but the conversation has changed to his treatment of women. During the performance, an ex-girlfriend of Drake, Serena Williams, made an appearance dancing in the “Not Like Us” set to make the statement of respecting women in the culture and not using them for clout or as degraded notches under his belt. The game of optics and morality was on display here.
With DJ Mustard on stage and the crowd chanting “A-Minor”, Kendrick Lamar brought the battle to mainstream. Many may not understand the symbolism, but the Hip-Hop community can vividly see the play on words, the play on theatrics, and we give Kendrick his just due. When you play the game there is a winner and a loser. Drake lost this battle and when the performance was over, Kendrick hit the button to signify that when the words “Game Over” appeared in the crowd.
The Hip-Hop battle went to the next level with this performance because now the evolution of the battle has taken shape. From Kool Moe Dee stepping on Kangol hats to signify his beef with LL Cool J, to the Summer Jam screen where Jay-Z went at Prodigy of Mobb Deep to claim dominance in the game. Kendrick used the biggest sporting event in North America to end a battle with a credible competitor. Even with DJ Akademiks’ failed attempt to sabotage the performance by releasing the track list of the show, Kendrick made his mark and ended the battle with a smile.
Whether you like Kendrick or think Drake did not lose the battle, this was Hip-Hop on display and even with Lil Wayne not being chosen to perform in his home state, Hip-Hop was on full display and the world took notice. Will this performance be remembered? I believe so because it one-upped showmanship and gave Hip-Hop artists another level to meet and beat when it comes to showing the world they are the best in their craft. There is only one way to secure a victory in a battle and that is to put a close on the chapter. Kendrick did that and now we wait to see what Drake will do and what’s next for Kendrick Lamar and his label Pg Lang. Good job K. The game is over and the conversation is finished…for now.
