The hip-hop community is giving Kendrick Lamar a standing ovation across the internet after witnessing him pop out and show ’em that he could command the stage at the 2025 Super Bowl.
Rappers Show Respect to Kendrick Lamar for His Super Bowl Performance
The man of the hour is K-Dot, who brought the West Coast to the Big Easy on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 9).
Kendrick’s former TDE labelmate Jay-Rock approved of what he saw. “K DOT 👌🏾👌🏾🔥🔥 killed it!!!!” Jay wrote on X.
Rapsody, who has collaborated with K-Dot on tracks like “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” and “Power,” kept her reaction short and sweet. “Kendrick. Brilliant,” she posted on X.
Killer Mike, who swept the Grammys in the three categories he was nominated in last year similar to Kendrick this year, wrote: “And That Was That “RAP SH*T”. Wow, brilliant. #HipHopAF.”
Around 8:30 p.m., Kendrick Lamar kicked off his Super Bowl set with Samuel L. Jackson playing the role of Uncle Sam and introducing the Compton MC’s performance. This set the tone for the halftime show’s “The Great American Game” theme. The field design was set up like the buttons of a PlayStation controller, adding to the vibe.
In true K-Dot fashion, he appeared atop a Buick GNX and performed the song that appeared in the trailer for his GNX album last year. The rhymer, sporting a royal blue leather jacket with pgLang emblazoned on the back and Gloria on the front, moved into “Squabble Up,” “Humble,” “DNA,” “Euphoria,” “Man at the Garden” and “Peekaboo.”
Kendrick gave a quick tease of “Not Like Us,” but didn’t play the song in full and instead said, “I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.” SZA, dressed in all red, let her voice soar as she joined Dot for “Luther” and “All the Stars” while showing off a bit of choreography before she dipped out. Then the moment everyone was waiting for arrived. “Not Like Us” rang out, followed by Mustard showing up to support K-Dot for “TV Off.”
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Check out Jay-Rock, Killer Mike, Rapsody, Doechii, Ab-Soul and more share their thoughts on K-Dot’s Big Game show below.
See Hip-Hop React to Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance
Jay Rock
Ab-Soul
Rapsody
Killer Mike
Doechii
Snoop Dogg
Chris Brown
Paul Wall
Punch
Jermaine Dupri
Flavor Flav
JPEGMafia
Your Old Droog
Bizzy Banks
Mickey Factz
Glasses Malone
Icytwat
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K-Dot fans, this one’s for you.