Kendrick Lamar took center stage at the official Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Press Conference in New Orleans, sitting down with Apple Music Radio hosts Ebro Darden and Nadeska Alexis. During the conversation, Kendrick reflected on the evolution of hip-hop, his Compton roots, and the significance of representing 15 years of music in a 13-minute set.
As the first solo hip-hop artist to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Lamar acknowledged the journey that led him to this historic moment. “A lot of people don’t see the story before the glory,” he explained. “Shuffling out your mixtapes, performing in hole-in-the-wall spots—it reminds me of the essence of rap and hip-hop and how far it can go. For me, this means everything because it puts the culture on the forefront, where it needs to be, not just minimized to a catchy song or verse. This is a true art form. I live and die by it. This shit done changed my whole family’s life. I don’t take it for granted at all.”
Despite his massive success, Lamar admitted that headlining the Super Bowl was never something he envisioned early in his career. “I wasn’t thinking about no Super Bowl,” he recalled. “We were thinking about the best verse, and how we gonna split this five dollars at Church’s Chicken. But I think the passion I had then is still the passion I have now. Being present in the moment—whether in the studio or writing a verse—kept me grounded. That’s what allowed me to get to big stages like this.”
Lamar also discussed the impact of “Not Like Us,” which earned him GRAMMYs for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. “As a writer, that’s what I appreciate the most,” he said. “I’ve put in years of trial and error, writing some of the worst shit to some of the greatest. People think rap is just rap, but it’s an actual art form. When records like that are recognized, it reminds people that hip-hop isn’t just something that popped up 50 years ago—it’s a genre that stands on its own.”
New Orleans, the Super Bowl’s host city, holds a deep cultural connection to Kendrick Lamar, as its history is intertwined with that of Black America. “All my friends—our grandparents were either from Louisiana, Texas, Chicago,” he explained. “Our dialect, how we talk, even in LA, comes from the South. That energy, that connection, means a lot to me. Being Black and putting culture at the forefront isn’t something I have to force—it’s who I am. I can’t sugarcoat it, I can’t downplay it. Whether in private or on the main stage, I have to be authentic.”
With the biggest stage in the world awaiting him, Kendrick Lamar is set to deliver a performance that not only showcases his music but also solidifies hip-hop as an undeniable and elevated art form.
