The rapper insists he’s a musician, not a messiah—a message bolstered by his Tremendous Bowl efficiency.
The Tremendous Bowl halftime present is a chance for large, dumb enjoyable: explosions, laser exhibits, left sharks. However large, dumb enjoyable isn’t Kendrick Lamar’s factor. The 37-year-old Los Angeles rapper and Pulitzer Prize winner prefers subtlety, smarts, and enjoyable that’s tinged by hazard and unease. Amid powerful, tense circumstances, he placed on a troublesome, tense—and fairly satisfying—present.
The occasion framed itself in self aware phrases. “That is the good American recreation,” Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, introduced firstly. He in all probability wasn’t simply referring to soccer. Lamar himself was about to run a well-recognized creative gauntlet: the battle to maintain one’s integrity intact whereas entertaining the lots. The stage was arrange in a tic-tac-toe design, and Jackson popped up at numerous different occasions to attain the proceedings. Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing each little bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography. However his face additionally conveyed nervousness, even worry. We knew that he knew he was being watched.
One of many individuals watching was Donald Trump, in attendance in New Orleans as a short break from upending the federal authorities. Lamar is extensively seen as the social conscience of his era of rappers, and he knew he was anticipated to make an announcement of some type. “The revolution’s about to be televised,” Lamar introduced early on. However, he added, “You picked the suitable time however the incorrect man.” One attainable that means: I’m not your revolutionary. It’s the identical message he’s repeatedly conveyed on his albums through the years, replying to onlookers who need him to be extra of a messiah than a musician.
Even so, he flirted with politics throughout the efficiency. Lamar rapped from the hood of a Buick GNX—the automotive that he, on his newest album, has held up as a symbolic trophy of his battle to outlive the violence and poverty he was raised amid in gangland Compton. His dancers’ purple, white, and blue outfits evoked Crips and Bloods, which made it a bit gorgeous once they lined as much as type an American flag, and raised their fists in what seemed just like the Black Energy salute. Right here was a imaginative and prescient of American pleasure from a bunch usually locked out of the American dream. But additionally, right here was a rapper taking part in that “nice American recreation,” frightening whereas staying patriotic.
(A sharper little bit of messaging was spelled out when certainly one of Lamar’s dancers unfurled a flag representing Gaza and Sudan. The performer was tackled by safety; “Nobody concerned with the manufacturing was conscious of the person’s intent,” the N.F.L. stated in an announcement afterwards.)
Arguably the larger threat Lamar took was in egging on his feud with Drake, which has embroiled the hip-hop world for almost a yr. Lamar has been using a wave of approval for his diss monitor “Not Like Us,” which catchily claims Drake to be a pedophile. Drake has denied the tune’s allegations and sued Common Music Group, the label that the 2 rappers share, for selling defamatory materials. Lamar’s tune gained Music of the 12 months and File of the 12 months eventually week’s Grammys, besides, it appeared attainable his personal legal professionals would forbid him from taking part in the tune on reside TV.
Lamar made a meal out of this suspense. “I wish to carry out their favourite tune, however you already know they like to sue,” he stated halfway by means of the set earlier than a snippet of the monitor’s beat performed. When he lastly launched into the complete tune, he scooted ahead on stage because the digital camera moved backwards, as if he have been stalking prey simply behind the lens. When Lamar lastly stated Drake’s identify, he cocked his head and gave certainly one of his solely smiles of the evening: a devious, cartoon-villain grin.
This was the second that the halftime present went from studious artwork piece to hall-of-fame-worthy TV. The world hooted for the tune’s nastiest punchline alleging underage predilections: “Tryna ring a bell and it is in all probability A minor.” Serena Williams, the tennis legend who occurs to be certainly one of Drake’s exes, made a shock look, clearly having a blast. On this rap battle, Lamar has styled himself as a pressure for good, a protector of hip-hop’s authenticity. However because the halftime present reached its full, delirious peak, the burden of righteousness appeared to soften away—leaving, merely, an important entertainer.
