The ‘Not Like Us’ rapper, 37, is set to perform during the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show. He shared the news Sunday in a YouTube video that showed Lamar on a football field in front of a giant American flag.
‘My name is Kendrick Lamar, and I’ll be performing at Super Bowl LIX,’ he says in the clip. ‘Will you be pulling up? I hope so.’
Roc Nation, Apple Music and the NFL confirmed the news in a news release, and the NFL shared a promotional poster on X that showed Lamar sitting on a football field.
‘Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,’ Lamar said in a statement on Sunday. ‘And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.’
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Seth Dudowsky, NFL’s head of music, noted that, ‘Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar,’ adding, ‘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.’
Lamar previously performed during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2022 as part of a star-studded lineup that also included Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent.
The gig comes amid a big year for Lamar, who has been making headlines for a high-profile feud with Drake. The two rappers have traded barbs in a series of back-and-forth diss tracks, including Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us.’ Released in May, ‘Not Like Us’ debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, and it’s nominated for song of the year at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday. In June, Lamar performed the hit track five times during a Juneteenth concert in California.
The feud between Lamar and Drake escalated in March when Lamar appeared on Future and Metro Boomin’s song ‘Like That’ and rejected the idea of there being a ‘big three’ in rap consisting of himself, Drake and J. Cole. ‘It’s just big me,’ he rapped. Drake has fired back with his own diss tracks, including ‘Taylor Made Freestyle.’
Lamar has won 17 Grammy Awards throughout his career. The Super Bowl halftime show was most recently headlined in 2024 by Usher, who was joined by Alicia Keys, H.E.R., will.i.am, Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri and Ludacris.
Super Bowl LIX is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
