Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime setlist, special guests
Kendrick Lamar performs at Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS - Kendrick Lamar, the first solo hip-hop artist to headline a Super Bowl halftime show, put on an artistic performance with motifs of the United States of America Sunday evening.
His dancers, dressed in red, white and blue, formed the USA flag. Actor Samuel L. Jackson, dressed like "Uncle Sam," acted as an emcee, introducing and helping to move the rapper into different parts of his performance.
Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl setlist
- GNX (Teaser)
- Squabble Up
- HUMBLE.
- DNA.
- Euphoria
- man at the garden
- peekaboo
- Not Like Us (just a tease)
- luther feat. SZA
- All the Stars feat. SZA
- Not Like Us (Serena Williams dances)
- tv off (DJ Mustard dances)
His full performance timed out at just under 13 minutes.
You can watch Kendrick Lamar's full Super Bowl halftime performance here.
Why was Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam?
Dig deeper:
Technically, Kendrick Lamar could've chosen any actor to dress up as Uncle Sam, the personification of the American government.
It hasn't been confirmed, but picking Samuel L. Jackson to play the character could be an interesting play on the actor's iconic 2012 "Django Unchained" performance as Stephen Warren, a slave who's seen as an "Uncle Tom."
Uncle Tom, a name coined in Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin," is typically used to describe an African-American male who is so eager to please white people, that he will usually betray his own culture to do so. Please note, the name is typically used in a derogatory manner.
That juxtaposition could be the reason Jackson's "Uncle Sam" told Kendrick Lamar he was "too loud, too reckless, too ghetto," and suggested that "America" preferred "nice and calm."
Did Kendrick Lamar diss Drake during Super Bowl 2025 halftime show?
What we know:
Arguably, the biggest question leading up to the Super Bowl was whether Kendrick Lamar would diss Drake during his halftime performance.
Although "Not Like Us" swept the GRAMMYs in every category the Drake diss track was nominated for, there was still doubt that it would make Kendrick's final setlist.
In late 2024, Drake sued record label Universal Music Group (UMG), citing defamation. There was chatter about whether Kendrick Lamar would legally be able to perform the song that Drake insisted hurt his reputation and put his safety in jeopardy. The lyrics insinuate that the Canadian rapper is a predator and associates himself with other questionable characters.
RELATED: Drake alleges Universal and Spotify falsely inflated Kendrick Lamar diss track ‘Not Like Us’
During his halftime performance, Kendrick Lamar referenced the lawsuit: "I wanna perform y'all favorite song, but you know they like to sue."
He then slowed down the tempo to bring singer SZA out for a song on his recently released album "GNX" and a second song from Marvel's Black Panther soundtrack.
Serena Williams dances to 'Not Like Us'
Before ending his highly-anticipated show, Kendrick Lamar performed "Not Like Us" anyway, strategically removing the lyric "pedophiles."
During the song, the camera showed tennis star Serena Williams dancing, crip walking, on a mini stage.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Serena Williams performs onstage during Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
This was a layered dig at Drake, who allegedly shared a brief romantic relationship with the star athlete.
In the song, Kendrick Lamar defended Compton-raised Serena Williams: "From Alondra down to Central, n— better not speak on Serena."
Pro-Palestinian protester during Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl halftime show
What we know:
During Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday night, a pro-Palestinian protester was detained by security.
Images captured the moment as the protester was escorted away.
The performance proceeded without any disruptions, and the individual did not appear in the broadcast of Lamar's show.
On Monday, New Orleans police announced the protester would not face any charges for the act.
What we don't know:
The protester's identity is unknown. It's not clear how the individual was able to get on the field.
The Source: This article was written based on Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime performance, sponsored by Apple Music and Roc Nation. Some of the information in this article has been previously reported on by FOX 5 Atlanta. It also references the lawsuit "Frozen Moments LLC," a company connected to Drake, has filed against Universal Music Group (UMG).