Memes & Tweets About Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show At Super Bowl LIX

Kendrick Lamar’s been busy. A week after his viral hit “Not Like Us” won all five of the awards it was nominated for — including Song of the Year — at the 2025 Grammys, Lamar took the Super Bowl stage on Feb. 9.

Ahead of Lamar’s highly anticipated halftime show, he teased that “storytelling” would be the name of the game at his Super Bowl press conference. “I think I’ve always been very open about storytelling, through all my catalog and my history of music. And I’ve always had passion about bringing that on whatever stage I’m on,” he said, adding that he hopes his performance will “make people listen, but also see and think a little.”

And that, he did.

A Surprise Guest

While fans already knew SZA would be joining Lamar on the Super Bowl stage (more on that below), one guest was a total surprise.

Lamar enlisted Samuel L. Jackson’s help to kick off the show. The Marvel star played Uncle Sam, sporting a flag-inspired ensemble and matching Lamar’s red, white, and blue motif on stage. He narrated the hitmaker through his set.

As one fan put it on X (formerly Twitter), Jackson’s opener made the performance “already a classic.” Another declared the screen legend’s appearance their “favorite thing ever.”

“Kendrick actually used this opportunity to say something, that is so unbelievably huge,” one viewer wrote of “Uncle Sam” and the performance’s significance.

Later on, viewers praised yet another surprise guest: Serena Williams.

SZA Reached For The Stars

Lamar brought out his friend and frequent collaborator SZA for “Luther” and “All the Stars,” which had fans singing along at home.

“THE ENTIRE STADIUM SCREAMING AS SZA STARTED SINGING ALL THE STARS,” cheered one viewer, reminding the musician that she’s “UNIVERSALLY LOVED.” Another fan declared SZA the true “champion” of the evening.

And many fans showed their support for one tweet that called for the pair to finally do a joint album.

The Drake Of It All

As “Not Like Us” was written as a diss track for Drake, viewers celebrated the way Lamar’s performance read as a direct message to his fellow artist, especially the moment Lamar smiled at the camera for “Say, Drake.”

“VICTORY LAP OF THE CENTURY,” one fan declared.