Just when it seemed Kendrick Lamar couldn’t elevate his A-list status any further, he’s been announced as the headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show! It appears the producers were captivated by his performance in 2022 and have now tapped him to deliver the entire spectacle.
This comes at a particularly significant moment for Lamar, who, despite always being a trending topic, recently made headlines with his 2024 track “Not Like Us,” which took a notable jab at Drake and made waves in the music world.
As with every Super Bowl Halftime Show, this performance will be a historic event broadcast to millions. With Kendrick Lamar leading the charge, it’s set to be an impressive milestone in his already stellar career.
Kendrick Lamar set to achieve a major historic first at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show
Kendrick Lamar is widely regarded as the most influential hip-hop figure of his generation, a title earned through immense dedication and hard work, resulting in remarkable achievements such as 17 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and nominations for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Source: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch)
Now, he is poised to attain one of the greatest honors in his career as he becomes the first rapper in history to headline a Super Bowl Halftime Show. This is a significant accolade, especially given the legendary artists who have previously graced this stage.
The 2022 Halftime Show was a celebration of hip-hop, featuring icons like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar himself. It looks like Lamar’s performance left such an impression that producers were eager to feature him in a leading role.
Fans are already abuzz, speculating about the setlist and possible collaborators for his performance. Likely songs include “HUMBLE.,” “Alright,” “King Kunta,” and “DNA.” There has been some debate over whether he will include his Drake diss track, “Not Like Us,” given its notoriety in 2024, though its explicit nature might be a concern for broadcast.
Collaborators could include SZA, with whom he created “All the Stars,” a track that remains one of his most streamed. It’s also possible that artists from his recent album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, such as Kodak Black, Summer Walker, Taylour Paige, or Sampha, could make an appearance.
