All The Stars: Highlights From Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Super Bowl Performance

K Dot has given us what we’ve asked for.

Kendrick Lamar’s performance for the Super Bowl Halftime Show was nothing short of what viewers from all around the globe expected — a declaration that hip-hop culture is his. Breezing through his recent discography with tracks from GNX, his recent high profile feud with Drake, and DAMN., the Compton artist brought out pure poetry for this Halftime performance. He didn’t waste a single breath, even in spite of having to alter his flow to accommodate the language and censorship guidelines of the show.

This isn’t the first time Kendrick Lamar has lit up the stage for the Super Bowl either, as he’s previously starred in a 2022 performance alongside fellow hip-hop legends Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent. In this previous performance, he brought out his arena anthems, “M.A.A.D. City” and “Alright.”

In its 13-minute runtime, this 2025 Super Bowl Halftime performance defied the norms of typical Super Bowl performances; the main focus of the night wasn’t the fancy theatrics that these annual stages normally had us accustomed to. Instead, it narrowed in on the culture that Lamar has cultivated through his music.

On that note, here are some of Billboard Philippines’ highlights from Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam

Lamar has never shied away from self-examination through characters, whether by impersonating them in his songs or using samples of critics dissecting his work. In this particular show, Samuel L. Jackson takes on the role of Uncle Sam, an overly critical figure who nitpicks Kendrick’s performance down to the smallest detail. With this critically acclaimed actor contributing to the 13-minute performance to build a narrative, it challenges the way we view Super Bowl Halftime shows — as a platform for storytelling.

DAMN. Highlights

A full set from Lamar wouldn’t be complete without excerpts from his Pulitzer Prize-winning album, DAMN. True to form, he elevated “HUMBLE.” and “DNA.” to some of their most powerful performances yet. Paying homage to this era from 2017, the dancers adopted a formation reminiscent of the iconic row-by-row positioning that became a staple after Kendrick first introduced it in the “HUMBLE.” music video.

SZA as a Guest Star

As previously announced, iconic GRAMMY-winning R&B artist SZA joined the show as a guest performer, delivering her parts from the currently viral smash hit “Luther” and the ethereal “All the Stars.” Her transcendental voice elevated the performance, providing a striking contrast to Kendrick’s hard-hitting bars with a more subdued, melodic presence.

Guest Appearances from Mustard and Serena Williams

Of course, as Kendrick called out “Mustard!”, the producer stepped onto the stage, dancing along to the arena anthem he created, “tv off.” Football in hand, he wore an outfit matching Kendrick’s — only in a fitting mustard yellow. Additionally, during the transition from “Not Like Us” to “tv off,” Serena Williams led the dance crew, moving to the beat while locking eyes with the camera, turning the moment into a statement of its own.

Sneaky disses towards Drake

Correct us if we’re wrong, but we’ve never seen an artist grinning from ear to ear while delivering a full-bodied diss track during a Super Bowl Halftime performance — until Kendrick Lamar performed “Not Like Us.” He also referenced the Toronto-based rapper’s ongoing legal battle with Universal Music Group in one of his bars, saying, “I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.”