Kendrick Lamar To Play Super Bowl Half Time Show

9 September 2024 | 8:45 am | Mary Varvaris

Lamar said of the announcement, "Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why."

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar (Credit: Renell Medrano)

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Rap superstar Kendrick Lamar will perform at the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA, on Sunday, 9 February 2025, Apple Music, Roc Nation, and the NFL have announced.

Kendrick Lamar is a 17-time Grammy Award winner and was the first non-classical or jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for 2017’s DAMN. In June, the rapper’s record-breaking diss track Not Like Us spent two weeks at #1 in the US after collaborating with Future and Metro Boomin on Like That, which spent three weeks at #1.

This year’s Super Bowl halftime show featuring Usher was the most-watched halftime performance of all time and even garnered three Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live). Last year’s halftime show with Rihanna gathered five Emmy nominations, taking home two, including Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special: a first in Super Bowl Halftime history.

In 2022, the Super Bowl halftime show celebrated hip-hop with an incredible show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. For the first time, the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show took home the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) Emmy award.

In a statement, Lamar said of his performance, “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”

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Jay-Z added that Lamar is a “once-in-a-generation artist and performer” whose love and respect for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. “He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally,” Jay-Z continued. “Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”

Seth Dudowsky, the Head of Music at the NFL, commented that “few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar.

“Time and time again, Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop. We’re excited to collaborate with Kendrick, Roc Nation, and Apple Music to deliver another unforgettable Halftime Show.”

Apple’s Vice President of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats, Oliver Schusser, added, “The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show is a celebration of the music we love and the incredible artists who make it, all on the world’s biggest stage.

“Apple is thrilled to bring this show, starring the absolutely incomparable Kendrick Lamar, to fans worldwide with Apple Music’s industry-leading Spatial Audio quality along with tons of exclusive videos, interviews, playlists, and so much more across Apple Music.”

You can check out Kendrick Lamar’s teaser announcement video below.