This weekend, the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation revealed that rapper Kendrick Lamar will be the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime performer. Making history as the first rapper to headline the halftime show alone, Lamar says he looks forward to bringing hip-hop to the forefront of the NFL championship.
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar said in a statement, as previously reported by theGrio. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”
“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come,” Jay-Z, owner of Roc Nation which co-produces the halftime show, added, per Rolling Stone.
As Lamar joins the exclusive club of Super Bowl Halftime headliners, social media users noted the consecutive showcase of Black artists at the NFL championship game in recent years. Since 2021, the Super Bowl halftime show has been Blackity Black, with performances from headlining performances from The Weeknd, Dr. Dre, Rihanna, Usher, and now Kendrick.
2024 has been an explosive year for the Compton rapper. After undergoing a public rap beef with Drake, Lamar was crowned victorious with the release of his song ”Not Like Us,” which quickly topped the charts. Resting at the number one spot on the Billboard “Hot 100s” list for weeks, the diss track and music video arguably became the song of the summer. So much so, that during his Juneteenth concert “The Pop Out,” the rapper performed the song back-to-back five times — a stunt some fans predict he will reprise on the Super Bowl stage.
“Bros bout to perform Not Like Us a million times at the show,” one user wrote on X.
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“Drake fans when their team is down 14 at halftime and Kendrick performs not like us 6 times,” another user joked on X.
While some fans are placing bets on how many times the rapper will perform his hit song, others are outraged by the NFL’s headliner choice. With the 2025 Super Bowl scheduled to take place in New Orleans, many on social media expected New Orleans native Lil Wayne to be appointed Super Bowl headliner. Following the Compton rapper’s announcement, fellow rappers like Cam’ron and Master P shared their thoughts on the Super Bowl LIX halftime decision.
“Listen, I love Kendrick Lamar… I hate the selection,” Cam’ron said on a new episode of his podcast. “It’s in New Orleans and you don’t get Lil Wayne? That’s what we doing? You don’t get Lil Wayne in New Orleans for the Super Bowl? … There’s no reason why Lil Wayne shouldn’t be performing in the Super Bowl.”
After saluting Kendrick Lamar for performing at the halftime show, Master P echoed Cam’ron’s sentiments on Instagram: “As Ambassador of Entertainment in the City of New Orleans, I have to agree with the fans that @liltunechi #LilWayne should be a part of this celebration as well. He’s one of the greatest [Hip] Hop artists alive, still relevant and he’s a New Orleans native. Let’s not miss this cultural moment in the South…We have to give our legends their flowers while they are here.”
While there is still a chance Lamar brings out Lil Wayne as a special guest onstage, it is clear that Lamar’s disdain for Drake lives on. In the video announcing his plans to perform at the Super Bowl, Lamar shadily claps back at Drake, who reportedly teased a “round two” in their feud.
My name is Kendrick Lamar, and I will be performing at Super Bowl 59. Will you be pulling up? I hope so,” the Compton rapper said. “You know it’s only one opportunity to win a championship — no round twos.”
