In his newest video, Kendrick Lamar announced himself as the headlining artist for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, notably saying “you know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos.” This has been perceived as a tongue-in-cheek diss against Drake, and the announcement as a whole is a monumental way to cap off a massive summer for Lamar.
Lamar already headlined the halftime show not that long ago at Super Bowl LVI, but was alongside four other California-born artists. This time, Lamar is the sole performer headlining the show. The performance is being run in collaboration with Apple Music and Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by legendary rapper, Jay-Z. There is already some controversy surrounding the decision, as the 2025 Super Bowl will be held in New Orleans, the birthplace of the similarly highly-regarded rapper Lil Wayne. However, the decision makes a lot of sense considering the summer Lamar has had.
Lamar’s feud with Drake and his OVO following is more than old news, with the song “Not Like Us” shattering streaming records every day since its release. In June, Lamar held the “The Pop Out” concert where he gave a spotlight to several West Coast artists and played the aforementioned “Not Like Us” six times in a row. The Kia Forum sold out almost immediately and the concert was streamed to Prime Video and Apple Music. Needless to say, the song has been a historic hit.
Truthfully, though, Drake has not been all that hurt by the numerous diss tracks. He continues to remain atop daily streaming stats and recently came out with his “100 Gigs” drop, a collection of unreleased music and videos. However, Lamar’s announcement kills some of Drake’s momentum. Among Drake’s often cryptic Instagram stories was one where he hinted at a “game two,” potentially re-instigating the feud. Lamar’s quote of “no round twos” shuts this down, using the announcement as a stark reminder of who won the beef.
This news means a new accolade will be added to Lamar’s ever-increasing list. Along with being the first rapper to win a Pulitzer prize, having two of the highest grossing rap tours of all time, and achieving the most Grammy nominations in one night by any rapper ever, Lamar is now the first solo rap artist to headline for the Super Bowl halftime show. Though it has been nearly three years since Lamar’s last studio album release, he certainly has not been inactive, and a performance of this caliber surely hints at more to come.
