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Kendrick Lamar plays 'Not Like Us,' trolls Drake in Super Bowl halftime show with backup dancer Serena Williams

Halftime performer detained after holding combined Palestine, Sudan flag

ryan young
Staff writer
·3-min read

Kendrick Lamar didn't pull any punches in New Orleans on Sunday night.

After hinting at it throughout the performance, Lamar brought out his Grammy award-winning song, "Not Like Us" during his incredible star-studded halftime performance at Super Bowl LIX. His show, which came with SZA and backup dancer Serena Williams, seemingly ended his feud with Drake again.

The entire crowd at the Caesars Superdome went off, too.

Actor Samuel L. Jackson started the performance during the break of the Philadelphia Eagles' rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs with an intro. He served as an emcee of sorts throughout the show as Lamar opened with “Squabble Up,” “Humble,” “DNA” and more.

Lamar played a bit of “Not Like Us" soon after. The song was a cause of speculation in the lead up to the show amid his very public and litigious beef with Drake. At least, he started to play it with a clear reference to the lawsuit that Drake would likely hit him with before he pulled away. Lamar did wear an “a minor” chain throughout the show, though.

Lamar then brought SZA out for "All The Stars" and more.

And finally, Lamar gave the people what they wanted and dropped Drake's name with a wild grin on his face as he did so.

Then to close out the show, Lamar brought out Williams, a fellow Compton native and tennis superstar, as one of his backup dancers.

As far as Super Bowl halftime shows go, Lamar crushed it. Drake can't be happy.

A performer hired for the show was detained on the field and escorted off during the show after they pulled out a Palestinian flag with "Sudan" and "Gaza" written on it during the halftime show.

The NFL and Roc Nation confirmed that the person was part of Lamar's 400-member cast, and that the incident was "neither planned nor part of the production." The show continued on normally.

"The individual hid the item on his person and unveiled it late in the show," the league said, via The Associated Press. "No one involved with the production was aware of the individual's intent."

The person, however, will be "banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events," NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said in a statement.

New Orleans police said Monday that the cast member will not face criminal charges.