Through words and symbols, the halftime show was jam-packed with history and political movements. Kendrick Lamar headlined his first-ever Super Bowl halftime, but this was his third performance, the past two being guest appearances. Lamar also became the first-ever solo rapper to headline. Lamar is more than just a rapper; he’s a lyricist, or as some may even call it, a poet. He’s a Pulitzer prize winner and is very intentional in every word he writes and every move he makes. While fans will disagree on whether this was the best or worst performance in recent years, one thing that Lamar was very strategic about was his symbolism and meaning throughout the performance.
Uncle Sam
Quick into the performance, we meet Samuel L. Jackson, playing “Uncle Sam.” Uncle Sam is a common face of the American government, most used in the “I want you” posters, trying to get Americans to enlist in the Army. Uncle Sam pops up a few different times in the performance, usually yelling at Lamar for his distasteful performance, representing the distastefulness of the US government.
“Ghetto”
As the song “squallable up” comes to a close, Uncle Sam returns to the screen with an unpleasant look and starts yelling, “No, no, no, this is too loud. Too reckless. Too ghetto.” “squabble up” is a song derived from violence. The title is a West L.A. slang word to fight or “square up.” The word “ghetto” is a word rooted with racism and is usually used to describe crime and poverty, and is mostly associated with black people.
“40 acres and a mule”
Uncle Sam returns to the stage, and like the fans, is happy after Lamar’s two songs with SZA. “That’s what I’m talking about, that’s what America wants, nice, calm. You’re almost there; don’t mess this up.” As he says that final sentence, he is hit with a face of anger, and behind him pops up Lamar with the four ladies again. Lamar starts spitting words, “It’s a cultural divide, imma get in on the floor.” The ladies ask him if he’s gonna do it, referencing back to him performing “Not Like Us.” He then says, “40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music.” The saying “40 acres and a mule” dates back to 1865 during the Civil War, when Union General William Tecumseh promised enslaved African Americans 40 acres of land when they were freed. Some families were even told they would be given a mule.
American Flag
Uncle Sam continues and tells Lamar to “tighten up.” We then see all the dancers, who are all wearing red, white, and blue, aligning on the stairs to create the American flag. But the flag is quickly divided in half, with Lamar standing in between both sections. In the past few years, political ideology has divided America. One side, the Democrats, and the other, the Republicans.
Serena Williams
The famous tennis player made her appearance to show off her “crip walk” during “Not Like Us.” Most people assumed Williams was a jab at rapper Drake, who has a long-rooted drama with Lamar. Williams dated Drake for a brief period in 2011. But what mattered more was her dancing. In 2012, when she won the gold medal at the Olympics, she performed the same dance and immediately faced backlash for promoting “gang violence.” “Crip walking” originated from the Los Angeles gang, “the Crips” and was used to express themselves, and was also used after killing someone, marking the kill as a Crip’s.
Hours upon hours could be spent analyzing the physical and symbolic movements of the halftime show, and each hour a new meaning can be discovered. Fans, however, voiced how the halftime show may not have been what they were expecting, but their opinion quickly changed.
“I think if you just look at it from the surface you may be confused and like ‘what is this?’” sophomore Eliana Kanzler said. “But if you really look at the deeper message it brings a lot more power and impactfulness.”
