At this year’s Superbowl the rapper Kendrick Lamar played the halftime show. He had a show that was packed with symbolism. During the show Samuel L. Jackson played Uncle Sam who was telling Kendirck what to do. He is representing the system and the government.
Uncle Sam calls the show “ The Great American Game.” The stage is set with game controller buttons surrounding the stage to emphasize the point of this being a game to Uncle Sam. It shows the current state of the US.
There’s a lot of symbolism in the dancers in this show. The show opens with the dancers coming out of a car. The people are in Red White and Blue. As they step out of the same car. They all separate into different groups.
After starting off singing Kendirck starts the show saying “The revolution, about to be televised. You chose the right time but the wrong guy.”
Kendrick starts the show with the song “Squabble up” after the song is finished Uncle Sam tells Kendrick he needs to tone it down “Too Loud, Too Reckless, Too Ghetto, Mister Lemar do you really know how to play the game? Then Tighten up!” He is going against what the system wants.
Immediately after this His song Humble comes on with the dancers not forming the american flag. Another important thing about the dancers is that the flag is made up of entirely black people. The flag is also very obviously split.
Following this is a song titled “DNA” followed by “Euphoria” with lights in the crowd saying warning the wrong way. Kendrick continues to play his music with “Man at the garden” This is when Uncle Sam finally gets fed up.
Uncle Sam tells him “Oh, see you brought the homeboys with you. The old culture cheat code. Score keeper. Deduct One life.” Many think this is him saying when you come together and fight back we can’t have that and so they kill someone to keep the mass’s down.
He plays the song “Peekaboo” before talking about wanting to play “Not like Us” The song everyone is waiting for but could get sued for it. Followed by him saying “You know what i’ll slow it down.”
Following this Kendrick plays calmer songs. “Luther” and “All The Stars” with SZA. Uncle Sam likes this saying “That’s what America Wants! Nice, calm.You’re almost there don’t mess this up..” He wants Kendrick to not bring the real issues up to just play nice pretty songs.
Kendrick immediately goes the opposite way. Interrupting Uncle Sam with the opening of “Not Like Us”, the song the real America has been waiting for. Kendrick continues the interruption “It’s a cultural divide, Ima get it on the flow…40 acres and a mule this is bigger than the music. Yeah they tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence.” He is being more obvious now telling us that there is more than meets the eye.
During this song you can also see that most of the dancers drop dead, the only ones still up are the “inner circle” , the people around Kendrick and a circle in the middle of the stage. You also get to see Serena Williams C-Walking to the song, something she got harassed for doing after winning a match at Wimbledon. C-Walking is also an important part of black culture.
He ends the show with the song “TV off” before showing GAME OVER in the crowd. There is a lot of talking about whether this is in reference to drake or his views on establishment and the game being over.
