“What the hell was the halftime show even about?”

Since Sunday, this question has found its way into every conversation I’ve had regarding the Super Bowl. Given my familiarity with Kendrick Lamar, his work and his political influence, I thought an article explaining my interpretation of the show might be helpful. The winner of 22 Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize, my shock when his place at the Super Bowl was announced didn’t come from his achievements, but the sheer, unfiltered messages that come along with Lamar. Since his earliest works, Lamar has been vocal about racism, police brutalities and the dark, exploitative history of the US government abusing Black people and Black culture. And with the maelstrom of executive orders dismantling DEI and targeting minority groups in the US, I knew that Lamar would use his platform to motivate, educate and inspire the American people into action. And he did not disappoint.

The halftime show began with actor Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam, a character Lamar has used as a caricature to criticize the US government and white culture’s exploitative tendencies before in Wesley’s Theory (2015). A particular comment from Sam stuck with me: “No no no no! Too loud! Too reckless! Too … ghetto!” There is an inherent hypocrisy when Sam says this. From production styles to albums, rap has provided America with beautiful, inspiring culture since the 1970s.

Rap, a musical culture whose genesis is pinpointed to project housing in a ghetto of the Bronx, an economically deprived and struggling environment cultivated through racist policy, has been criticized for “ghetto” qualities throughout its entire existence by white culture. Yet, here Sam is demanding Lamar perform. America looks down upon this culture until it becomes profitable. How does Lamar respond? He and his backup dancers march down into the streets.

The mixture between music and movement is critical to understanding this performance. Lamar pairs a catalog of his most political music with the physical action of marching alongside dozens of other people through the streets to show the audience how we should respond. Besides his jab at Drake, the key moment everyone has been talking about is the line, “The revolution will be televised — you picked the right time, but the wrong guy.” This is the revolution. This is the time. Lamar has given us the reasons, shown us the exploitation and demonstrated how we should move forward as a nation. We may have picked the wrong guy, and he may embody these negative qualities of Uncle Sam, of hypocritical, racist America.

But here too we see an embodiment of America: we see the culture of our nation on display during the most watched event in American history taking to the streets and defending itself. We hear the unjust actions of our nation and are urged to follow along and defend that which is currently being lost. The halftime show was a break from the news about ICE kidnappings or equity policies being thrown out the window; Lamar has used his stage before the world to give us, the people, a platform from which to march the streets and act against the exploitation and harassment of American citizens. So, go do it. Use your voice and body in protest. Because the truth is that if you don’t, nobody else will.

Lonan Jennings ’27 is an English and classics major at Lafayette College.