The main focus of discussion right now is the LIX halftime show. People are dissecting everything from the underlying messages and choreography to the selection of the diss track and the impressive collaboration between Kendrick Lamar and SZA. While some viewers appreciated the performance, others criticized it for being too brief and rushed, voicing concerns that Sza did not receive enough screen time.
Although some of those opinions are relative the overall consensus was that it was poignant and powerful as much as it was entertaining. The people who do have complaints about it didn’t get the point. The entirety of the performance was metaphorical and symbolic, both with the choice of songs, the choreography, and the choice of guest appearances. The setlist was carefully curated to tell a story.
Kendrick Lamar is not an artist to keep his political views a secret; he has dropped songs about his hate for our current president Donald Trump such as, ¨The heart part 4,” and ¨XXX.¨ He has also made various posts that bring awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, racial injustice in America, and more. So when he scored the gig to be the performer at the halftime show, it was not surprising he would use that platform to make use of his political views.
The hidden message in the performance highlights racial inequality and the United States government. One of his messages about the U.S. Government shows early in his performance when Lamar speaks of “the revolution,” telling the audience that “The revolution is about to be televised; You picked the right time but the wrong guy.” The Halftime show opens with “Squabble Up,” also a song where he very clearly shows his opinion on politics in the lyrics.
The song shortly gets cut to when Samuel L. Jackson makes an appearance as Uncle Sam/Uncle Tom. The term ¨Uncle Tom¨ which originates from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” refers to Black Americans who turn their backs on the Black community and culture and willingly embrace subservience to white Americans. He then goes on to make a speech saying “No no no no no! Too loud, too reckless — too ghetto! Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!”
This represents the version of America that controls how Black artists express themselves. Jackson’s statement that Lamar’s performance was “too ghetto” before being silenced was a commentary on how Black voices are policed in mainstream spaces. Later on, after the performance of ¨All the Stars ¨ which was a rap song, this song aimed towards more contemporary and R&B.
Samuel L. Jackson’s second appearance confirms the true intentions behind the song “That’s what I’m talking about that’s what America wants nice calm you’re almost there don’t mess this,” he then gets interrupted by Kendrick Lamar rapping some lines before he starts his number 1 streamed song “Not Like Us”.
Another guest appearance other than Sza and Samuel L. Jackson was Serena Williams.
Serena Williams was a key attribute to this performance of racial inequality. Serena Williams started to “crip walk” next to Kendrick Lamar on stage to “Not like us.”
This converts to the message about racial inequality because of the 2012 victory over Maria Sharapova at the Wimbledon court. She crip walked as her victory dance and faced major criticism with the move getting called “Tasteless” and “Glamorizing Gang Violence.¨ Other than Serena Williams’ notable moment, there was also other choreography that represented a message.
One of the most visible parts of the choreography was the dancers’ clothing colors. The dancers were black wearing red, white, and blue, representing the colors of the American flag. Kendrick Lamar presents the factor that the United States is “built on the backs of Black people.¨
The dances were all lined into an American flag, then started to separate, symbolizing the current political strife that has fractured the country. With all this, the overall performance and the message were amazing. Kendrick Lamar is a genius when it comes to his lyrics, and the LIX Halftime Show was a hit.
