A few weeks ago, the biggest night in sports took place in Louisiana where the Philadelphia Eagles went head to head with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl Fifty Nine. While many fans attend and tune in for the game, the masses also come for the halftime show. This year’s show was headlined by Grammy winning rapper Kendrick Lamar. With big shoes to fill, following previous acts like Prince and Madonna, he did not disappoint.
Kendrick Lamar has been deemed as one of the greatest rappers of all time for his lyrics, story telling, and live performances. His Super Bowl halftime show combined all of those elements along with major fashion statements that caused commotion amongst the media.
Uncle Samuel L. Jackson
The opening number addressed the political turmoil happening in the U.S. since the election in November. Samuel L. Jackson made a special appearance dressed as Uncle Sam beginning Lamar’s set with an opening monologue that continued throughout the performance. It set the stage for an unforgettable performance.
Flare Jeans Are So Back
While watching Kendrick own that stage as a performer, it made me realize how much he owns his sense of fashion as a creative. Looking back a week prior, Kendrick brought some of his Grammy fashion to the Super Bowl stage. At the 2025 Grammy Awards, the rapper wore a Canadian Tuxedo head to toe. The denim trend made its way into his halftime performance.
A few months ago, if I was asked my thoughts on how long the comeback and trend of flare jeans lasted, I would have said blatantly that I was over it. That was until I saw Kednrick rock them on that stage.
In the grand scheme of fashion trends in hip hop and rap, it is rather rare to see an artist wear flare styled pants. Most certainly, a stereotype exists that associates hip hop and rap with baggy jeans. Lamar’s venture outside the box showed the crowd what he does best: stand out.
Red White And Blue
Football is known as America’s game. The patriot colors red, white and blue stood out vividly in the outfits worn by Kednrick and his dancers. Lamar’s jacket was decked out red, white and blue. While he sang his hit song “Humble” his dancers formed around him dressed in the respective colors to make the shape of the American flag. These elements made his performance not only entertaining but also a commentary on the state of the country.
SZA’s Special Appearance
Global sensation, SZA, made an appearance during the performance. The singer wore all red lace and leather from head to toe. She delivered astounding vocals and danced gracefully on stage. Their duet “All The Stars” was cut short by Samuel L. Jackson’s political commentary.
Not only did the fashion address politics, one of Kednrick’s accessories targeted the infamous, ongoing beef with Drake. Lamar wore a diamond “a” necklace referring to a lyric in his Drake diss track “Not Like Us.” The crown went into a frenzy when Lamar performed the song. Anyone who was unaware of the beef prior to the halftime show most definitely found after.
Often during a halftime show, fans gather around the stage to watch, but the field was free of fans emphasizing that Kendrick was there to make a point. Overall, the performance was clever and witty which most halftime shows do not feature such theatrics. Nine out of ten times, a performance at the Super Bowl is fun to watch and easy to digest. Very rarely does it make one think and question things. Kendrick’s did. From the production to the song selection and to the fashion, Kendrick Lamar.
