Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance left fans in shock for several reasons, including his accessories.
Sunday night’s game (9 February) saw Lamar perform a number of hits from his catalogue at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana for the Super Bowl halftime show.
Lamar was joined by a couple of A-list guests as he took to the field, with actor Samuel L. Jackson addressing the crowd dressed up as Uncle Sam as he introduced the rapper.
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Later in the set, SZA also accompanied Lamar on stage to perform 'Luther' and 'All the Stars', dressed in red leather to fit in with the USA-themed aesthetic.
Viewers were left stunned when Lamar sang his Grammy-winning smash hit diss track 'Not Like Us' during his highly anticipated halftime slot, even though it recently became the subject of a publicised lawsuit.
One fan tweeted: "HE SAID THE F**KING VERSE??? OH DRAKE IS ON THE FLOORRRRR," while someone else said: "Kendrick really out here calling out Drake at the Super Bowl."
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A third wrote: "Kendrick Lamar is cooking Drake in front of the world at the Super Bowl right now."
Meanwhile, others also clocked the blink-and-you-miss-it moment Lamar appeared to flash a smile to the camera.
While Drake himself hasn't commented on the performance, his legal team put out a statement prior which read: "UMG is masquerading as a champion of artistic freedom by calling its actions merely ‘entertainment’, but there is nothing entertaining about pedophilia or child abuse in the real world.
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“We are confident that the evidence we will ultimately present at trial, including information we’ve already learned and continue to receive since filing the lawsuit, will expose UMG’s gross prioritization of its own corporate profits and executive bonuses over its exclusively signed artists’ well-being and the truth."
The ‘One Dance’ rapper sued Universal Music Group last year for defamation and harassment after it released Lamar’s chart-topping track, with his lawyers accusing the record label of launching a ‘campaign to create a viral hit’ as Lamar describes the 38-year-old as a ‘certified p**dophile’ - claims that Drake has continuously denied.
Some people had wondered if Lamar might bring out none other than Drake during his headline slot, however, the Canadian star is currently on tour in Australia.
But while Lamar didn't bring out Drake in person, many have speculated that he did make sure there was a nod to him in his show, with fans claiming to have also noticed a particular detail about Lamar’s outfit.
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The rapper wore black leather gloves, which spectators have suggested is yet another dig at the musician.
“B***h why is Kendrick wearing the OJ leather gloves?! He about to murder his haters,” one fan quipped on Twitter, while someone else asked: “Is Kendrick wearing the gloves from Drake’s house???”
A third said: "Kendrick wearing that gloves Drake wore to perform on tour is the hate I need."
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The cover for Lamar’s diss track ‘6:16 IN LA’ is a picture of a Maybach driving glove belonging to Drake.
Despite fan theories, however, the gloves do not appear to be the same - plus, Lamar has worn gloves as part of his outfits in the past, including a single black glove during his 2022 Super Bowl halftime show performance.
Lamar was wearing a necklace with a lowercase 'a', which some believed to be a reference to a line from his diss track.
Tyla has contacted Lamar's reps for comment.
Topics: Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Super Bowl, Style
Gregory Robinson