Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime performance delivered a hidden message and symbolism of social justice, race and identity. While many artists use this type of performance as a marketing deal for themselves, Kendrick created an opportunity to display the faults in the American music industry and to resurface the beef with Drake. 

The performance opened with actor Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam, which held a symbol of the constraints withheld upon Black artists to obtain certain demands in the industry. While performing his hit song “HUMBLE” his dancers dressed in red, white and blue, and stood in a configuration symbolizing a torn American flag. This is one of Lamar’s crafty and creative ways of representing a politically torn country and it  significantly showed the deep fractures within the country surrounding freedom, justice and equality. Uncle Sam ends the song by saying, “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 speaks about how many artists are conformed to “acceptable” norms to gain success or avoid discrimination and how artists have to tone down their authenticity to be accepted by other audiences.  

As the Drake feud still continues, many hidden takes taken on Drake were expressed in the Super Bowl. Lamar brought out SZA and Serena Williams whom Drake both dated back in 2009 and 2015. The relationship between SZA and Drake was revealed in Drake’s track “Mr. Right Now” which referred to a 2008 affair but she spoke up and added that she “didn’t want anybody thinking anything underage or creepy was happening”. 

Lamar left the audience to unpack the secret hidden meanings throughout his performance regarding faults in the music industry along with the well known dispute between him and Drake. Although many believe the feud has been put to rest by Lamar as the crowd displayed in lights the message GAME OVER as a final take.