Kendrick Lamar Receives Mixed Reactions to Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar is receiving mixed reactions following his NFL Super Bowl LIX halftime performance … even after he included his extremely popular Drake diss track “Not Like Us” in the lineup.

In addition to the hit song — which won him five Grammys last week — he performed other crowd-pleasers, including “gnx,” “peekaboo” and “HUMBLE.” He also brought out SZA for their hits “All the Stars” and “Luther,” and even had Serena Williams — who once dated Drake — crip-walking to “Not Like Us.” Samuel L. Jackson opened up the performance dressed as Uncle Sam to preside over the show.

Some displeased viewers rated Kendrick’s as the worst halftime show performance they’ve ever seen … and others went as far as demanding Roc Nation — Jay-Z‘s company that began producing the halftime shows in 2019 — be banned from controlling a halftime performance ever again.

Drake is probably loving the hate … but KL got plenty of praise for his performance, too. Viewers applauded him for keeping Drake’s name in “Not Like Us” and for bringing his exes into the mix. Others gave him points for playing new music and not just leaning into nostalgia, while also highlighting his creativity for the political messages.

Kendrick followed last year’s record-setting Super Bowl — featuring Usher with Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., will.i.am, Lil Jon and Ludacris at halftime — which brought in 123.4 million viewers. In fact, last year’s game is the second most-watched TV program ever, next to the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing.