Kendrick Lamar’s Superbowl performance contained so much symbolism that it may have been too much for the U.S. population to understand and possibly went completely over their heads. The messages are clear, especially during Black History Month. TikTokers have been evaluating the different symbolism on Kendrick’s halftime performance. Let’s catch you up with the references Tiktokers and I have been assessing.
Before any of the lights turn on in the stadium, we faintly see the words ‘Warning wrong way.’ We are then shown to see a PlayStation controller symbolizing we the people are in a game and that we are being controlled.
Kendrick Lamar opened the halftime show by introducing Samuel Jackson as “Black Uncle Sam”. Black Uncle Sam is portrayed as ‘Uncle Sam’ who has represented American pride and patriotism but also propaganda when it came to recruitment and war. Samuel Jackson dressed in all American gear is a clear depiction of they’re not like us. Samuel Jackson starts off the show with, “This is the great American game.” Labeling America to seem so wonderful when this country is colonized. He is narrating and talking about the game that is essentially America and being black in America. “Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto.” said Samuel Jackson, words used to degrade the black community.
We then transition to Kendrick standing on a 1987 Buick, a grand national GNX. He starts off with a freestyle where he talks about no hugs, no handshakes because he isn’t playing nice. He says you wouldn’t get the picture if he sat you down for hours. This represents the political climate we’re in now where there’s no time and no room for being nice. Either you get it or you don’t.
At the end of that freestyle Lamar says, “The revolution is about to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy.” Based on Gil Scott Heron’s song; “The revolution will not be televised”, which was a criticism against American media saying that the media only focuses on entertainment and propaganda but in order for that to change, people had to step out of their homes for protest and freedom.
Once ‘Uncle Sam’ says tighten up, Kendrick performs “Humble” in which the dancers are seen to represent the American flag. The dancers intentionally split themselves to represent the American flag split in half. There were no stars to represent the individual states. The separated flag symbolized the chaotic relationship between Black Americans and the nation’s ideals of freedom—highlighting the gap with the country’s ongoing systematic racism.
After a few other songs, Kendrick then performs “Man at the Garden” where he is shown to be under a street light with his ‘boys’.
Sam Jackson comes onto say “Ah, so you brought your homeboys with you, the old culture cheat code. Score keeper, deduct one life.” Black people are heavily monitored in America. Deducting one life—to unalive or get rid of black cultural leaders. Some prime examples are Martin Luther King JR, Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey who were all political activists that were assassinated/eliminated for their freedom of speech.
After playing All the Stars, Uncle Sam says, “That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what America wants. Nice and calm. You’re almost there, don’t mess this up.”
Lamar mentions ‘40 Acres and a mule, this is bigger than music.” If you’re not familiar with 40 acres and a mule, after slavery was abolished, which was a promise to free slaves from the government which was 40 acres of land a mule so that people had their own governance of their lands and resources, but the promise was never made. Kendrick goes on to say “Yeah, they tried to rig the game but you can’t break influence.” Black people and black culture are very influential. This is beyond America. As he’s performing “Not Like Us”, his dancers lay out on the field to represent the outline of black bodies that have been unalived.
