Kendrick Lamar’s Superbowl performance was the most watched halftime show in history with 133.5 million viewers, and for a good reason. Lamar’s halftime production incorporated themes including current cultural issues and critiques of hip-pop culture. 

Lamar used his platform in a meaningful way and deviated from the norm of musical entertainment. He used the superbowl stage to portray his lived experience as a Black, rap artist in America.

After his opening song, Lamar said “The revolution about to be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy.” 

When Lamar mentioned “The revolution,” I immediately knew this performance would relate to topics outside of music. The significance of this performance was amplified since many prominent figures would be watching. 

Throughout the show, Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal of Uncle Sam would chime in to criticize Lamar, satirizing white America with his characterization of a historically white character. 

For instance, after the first two songs, Uncle Sam told Lamar that his performance was “too loud, too reckless, too … ghetto.” 

Uncle Sam represented white people in the U.S. who dislike hip-pop culture and criticize Black artists like Lamar. 

UO sophomore, Caleigh Tompkins said, “ It was cool to see the representation of Black culture, and I picked up on some of the political messages, which I thought were important.”

In addition to Uncle Sam’s commentary, Lamar would pause between every few songs to make his own comments about the performance in a rhythmic tone. This aspect of the show allowed Lamar to directly speak to the audience which added a personal element between Lamar and the viewer. 

For instance, in between songs, Lamar said, “It’s a cultural divide, I’ma get it on the floor. 40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music.”

Before the show, Lamar explained that his goal was to tell a story to the audience and his commentary enhanced the overall messages he was trying to portray about the experience as a Black American. 

Lamar’s reference to “40 acres and a mule” shocked a lot of people and many non-Black Americans, like myself rushed to the internet to look up the meaning of the unfamiliar phrase. 

“40 acres and a mule” refers to the Special Fields Order given during the Civil War which promised freed, Black Americans 40 acres of land for farming. This promise, however, was never fulfilled and contributed to the generational struggle for Black Americans to break out of poverty. 

Lamar’s mention of a promise to Black Americans that was never fulfilled added a serious element to his show. He disrupted the typical excitement of the halftime performance to address generational issues that  affect Black Americans to this day.

To build off of his mention of failed promises, Lamar also mentioned the cultural divide in the U.S. 

UO sophomore Trevor Robbins said, “It’s incredibly important that he (Lamar) made such a powerful statement about Black culture and the division in this country, especially with Donald Trump attending the Super Bowl.” 

Although fans like Robbins were “jumping for joy” while watching the halftime show, others disliked Lamar’s performance since the general theme and message wasn’t catered for everyone to relate to. 

Despite this, Lamar’s performance carried a strong message for the audience about the oppression of Black Americans. Lamar used his platform in a powerful way by mirroring cultural, political and racial issues in America during one of the most viewed live television performances of the year.