Lamar’s efficiency was dense with narrative and visitors, however for some, the load of the present rested on one query: whether or not or not Lamar would play his hit “Not Like Us.”
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
All proper. What do actor Samuel L. Jackson, tennis icon Serena Williams, a 1980’s muscle automobile and a producer named Mustard all have in frequent? Properly, all of them popped out at varied moments throughout Kendrick Lamar’s Tremendous Bowl halftime present on Sunday. This is a few of the broadcasts from Westwood One Sports activities.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
KENDRICK LAMAR: (Rapping) We go physique for physique. I hand you a physique. I am prolly a greater masseuse. Actually do not trouble no person, however they run it by me…
CHANG: However for NPR Music’s Rodney Carmichael, there was one second specifically that carried the load of your entire efficiency. And he is right here to assist us unpack that second. Hey, Rodney.
RODNEY CARMICHAEL, BYLINE: Hey. What’s up, Ailsa?
CHANG: What’s up? OK, so Kendrick Lamar, he’s, like, the primary hip-hop artist to headline the halftime present solo – proper? – like, which is a large deal.
CARMICHAEL: Positively.
CHANG: And fairly than taking the same old strategy to the efficiency – like, doing, you realize, a best hits showcase – Kendrick did one thing sort of unorthodox with the present, proper? What struck you probably the most, Rodney?
CARMICHAEL: Properly, Ailsa, for one factor, it is actually uncommon that an artist is even hitting this stage after they’re, you realize, on the apex of their profession. I imply, the Tremendous Bowl halftime present, for years, it has been a stage for the profession retrospective…
CHANG: Yeah.
CARMICHAEL: …? That is the possibility for an artist who’s typically within the twilight of their profession to showcase their hits and take us down reminiscence lane.
CHANG: Yeah.
CARMICHAEL: However for Kendrick, the one 12 months that he was actually serious about highlighting was the 12 months main as much as this second, and that’s the beef with Drake that culminated in him releasing “Not Like Us” final 12 months, in Might, because it grew to become the largest tune of his profession and the largest dis tune in hip-hop historical past.
CHANG: And it gained two of the largest Grammys of the 12 months simply…
CARMICHAEL: Precisely.
CHANG: …Final weekend.
CARMICHAEL: Yep.
CHANG: However, you realize, it has been this actually controversial tune, proper? And other people have been questioning all this time, is Kendrick going to sing it on the Tremendous Bowl?
CARMICHAEL: Yeah. I imply, on this tune, Kendrick has lyrics that join Drake and members of his crew with pedophilia. And Drake has filed a defamation lawsuit in opposition to Common Music Group, which can also be Kendrick’s recording label, and his. And this lawsuit, it says that the company knew that the accusations within the tune have been false, however they distributed and promoted “Not Like Us” anyway, as a manner of damaging Drake’s status.
CHANG: OK. So spoiler – Kendrick did carry out “Not Like Us,” however he stopped in need of rapping a few of the tune’s most inflammatory lyrics. And, you realize, he is all the time been extremely detailed and intentional together with his music, proper? And there have been all these Easter eggs final night time, like Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams. How do you suppose that includes individuals like them figured into the message that Kendrick wished to depart the viewers with?
CARMICHAEL: Properly, Kendrick was positively serious about elevating all of the eyebrows, from the intellectual to the lowbrow.
CHANG: (Laughter).
CARMICHAEL: I imply, he discovered artful methods to do it too, like having a group of dancers wearing pink, white and blue taking the type of an American flag, or Samuel Jackson enjoying the position of Uncle Sam and continuously reining him in from doing something too Black or too un-American.
CHANG: Yeah.
CARMICHAEL: However on the identical time, all through, there have been all these deeper messages that Kendrick was teasing out, whereas he was hanging this beef, this uncooked meat over our noses – sort of alluding to his beef with Drake.
CHANG: (Laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
LAMAR: I wish to carry out they favourite tune, however you realize they love the soup.
UNIDENTIFIED PERFORMERS: (Singing) What tune?
LAMAR: Yeah, that tune.
UNIDENTIFIED PERFORMERS: That tune?
CARMICHAEL: He wasn’t simply acknowledging that the query of whether or not he would carry out “Not Like Us” was on all people’s minds. He was truly utilizing that to construct up hype inside the efficiency and finally toying with whether or not or not hip-hop, mainstream America, even the music trade could be prepared for what would come if he did.
CHANG: Properly, I assume the final word query I’ve for you, Rodney, is what did you consider the present? Like, there was all this drama, however was it a very good present to Rodney Carmichael?
CARMICHAEL: OK, so unpopular opinion – like, the extra I have been watching this, the extra I am falling in love with it. However I am unable to assist however marvel the place Kendrick may have taken us or how far more he may have challenged us – even in 13 minutes – if he wasn’t busy stumping out the competitors.
CHANG: That’s in NPR Music’s Rodney Carmichael. Thanks a lot, Rodney.
CARMICHAEL: Thanks lots, Ailsa.
(SOUNDBITE OF KENDRICK LAMAR SONG, “NOT LIKE US”)
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