Remember When: Kendrick Lamar Delivered a Knockout Performance at the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show

Who knew that only 12 minutes of footage could become so legendary?

Kendrick Lamar was recently announced as the main performer for the upcoming 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, and fans are losing their minds over it. It won’t be Lamar’s first time in the NFL spotlight, either.

Back in 2022, Lamar was part of a star-studded ensemble of performers at the 2022 Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, and it’s since gone down as one of the most memorable performances in the game’s history.

The cast of performers featured hip-hop and R&B powerhouses, including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Mary J. Blige. The incredible performance won the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Production Design shortly after.

Fans Were Obsessed With Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show Performance

The incredible 2022 halftime show was directed yet again by Hamish Hamilton, who has directed the internationally-loved mid-game show since 2010, along with music director Adam Blackstone.

Hamilton spoke fondly about the 2022 show, noting that the artist lineup they curated “changed the world. They changed music, they changed politics, they changed the way that we dress, they had a seismic influence in music, culture and beyond. And not one of them had been on a Super Bowl bill before, and all of a sudden they’re all on the same Super Bowl bill.”

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♬ original sound – ⚡️Concerts⚡️

Each performance was otherworldly, but a lot of eyes were on Kendrick Lamar, in particular. The famed rapper performed in front of the green, surrounded by figures with blonde hair and black suits. His dancers were notably wearing sashes with “Dre Day” across their chests. Lamar performed his song “Alright” in front of the massive stadium. He was the only entertainer that evening to perform on the actual field, rather than on the stage.

The performance was not without controversy, though. A line in “Alright” about police brutality was notably missing from Lamar’s Super Bowl set. It’s not abundantly clear whether NBC or the NFL censored the line. It’s also not clear if it was a creative choice on the part of Lamar, though the latter seems quite unlikely for the outspoken rapper. However, it is worth mentioning that police criticisms did make it to Dr. Dre’s performance of “Still D.R.E.”, with no censorship involved.

Regardless of potential censorship in the upcoming 2025 set, we can’t wait to see what Lamar does with his Super Bowl performance in February!

Photo by Kevin C. Cox

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