If you, like US Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, needed subtitles for Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, sis, this one’s for you.
Tell me I’m not the only one needing subtitles for this!!#Halftime
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) February 10, 2025
Because while the Compton native’s set was packed with electrifying moments (not to mention another death blow to Drake’s career), it was the fashion choices—his own, SZA’s, and even the dancers’—that carried some of the night’s most powerful messages.
From Lamar’s carefully curated varsity jacket to SZA’s bold red leather ensemble and the dancers’ star-spangled formations, here’s every little detail you might have missed from Kendrick Lamar’s unapologetically Blackety-Black halftime show.
Kendrick Lamar’s Outfit
Any true Kendrick Lamar fan knows the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper never wears anything just for the aesthetics – there’s always a deeper meaning – and his Super Bowl LIX outfit was no exception.
Styled by drip architect Taylor McNeill, K-Dot stepped out in bootcut Celine jeans and a custom leather Martine Rose varsity jacket emblazoned with “Gloria” across the front.
He topped it off with a diamond eye ring over black gloves and a hefty chain necklace with a lowercase “a” pendant that had the internet buzzing.
So, what’s the story behind his entire fit?
The Bootcut Celine Jeans
There’s no hidden meaning to this – just straight-up style. According to Vogue (and the legendary Pharell Williams), Y2K fashion is here to stay. Yes, even for men and K-Dot proved it in the most effortlessly-fly way.
The Bold Martine Rose Varsity Jacket Spelling Out “Gloria”
While some fans mistook Kendrick’s jacket for a Florida Gators logo, the Kenfolk immediately recognized it as a nod to the closing track on his 2024 album, GNX.
In the song, Kendrick raps:
“Me and my b**h got a complicated relationship;
She’s so controllin’, I noticed it ain’t no playin’ with her;
I met her when I was off the porch as a teenager;
She said one day, I would right my wrongs and see paper.”
As Genius previously explained, “Gloria” serves as a metaphor for Kendrick Lamar’s pen game.
“The woman Kendrick speaks of serves as a conceit, becoming an extended metaphor for the discussion of his craft,” they wrote. “Gloria, which means ‘glory’ in Spanish, becomes a personification of rap glory—his ‘pen’ and the artistic journey it represents.”
“The relationship described symbolizes his intimate and often conflicted bond with his art, reflecting its power to uplift and consume him.”
The Diamond Eye Ring Over Black Gloves
The diamond eye ring Lamar sported over his black leather gloves is by Eliantte.
According to Vibe, the ring was a literal wink to another track from his GNX album, “Peekaboo.”
And finally…
The Diamond Chain With A Lowercase “a” Pendant
Arguably the most talked-about piece from Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was the lowercase “a” pendant swinging from a hefty diamond chain, also designed by Eliantte.
Fans who’ve followed his ongoing feud with Canadian rapper Drake immediately recognized the pendant as a nod to his lyrics in “Not Like Us,” where Lamar raps, “Tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably A-minorrrrrrr,” a line the crowd echoed loudly as he performed the legendary diss track.
Other eagle-eyed fans noticed that the pendant’s font matched the logo for his production company, pgLang—because when it comes to Kendrick, even the smallest details are part of the bigger picture.
SZA’s Outfit
Of course, K-Dot wasn’t going to take on the Super Bowl without one of his frequent collaborators (and now a favorite stage partner), SZA.
The R&B hitmaker joined Lamar onstage to perform their greatest hits together, from their brand-new track “Luther” to their iconic “Black Panther” anthem, “All The Stars.”
And just like Lamar, SZA’s used her fashion choices to make a statement. Styled by the phenomenal Alejandra LaPilusa, the singer stepped out in a custom red leather jacket by Born X Raised emblazoned with a white Lana logo on the chest, the title of her 2024 album, and “Crybaby” on the back, referencing one of the album’s standout tracks.
Super Bowl Halftime Dancers’ Outfits
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Dressed in red, white, and blue, the Super Bowl LIX dancers formed patterns resembling the American flag.
But the most striking moment came when Kendrick Lamar stepped into the center of their arrangement, physically and symbolically dividing them – a powerful visual metaphor for America’s deep-rooted racial and political divisions.
Samuel L. Jackson Dressed Up As Uncle Sam
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One of the most symbolic moments of Kendrick Lamar’s performance came when Hollywood legend Samuel L. Jackson took the stage dressed as “Uncle Sam.”
Now, for those who missed the reference, Uncle Sam represents mainstream, “white-friendly” America.
So, Sam—yes, Samuel L. Jackson (get it?)—acting as the narrator and introducing Kendrick with, “It’s your Uncle… Sam and this is the great American game,” symbolized sanitized America—the version that attempts to make everyone comfortable at the expense of Black folk.
His follow-up statement that Lamar’s performance was “too loud… too reckless… too ghetto” before HUMBLE. started playing hit hard, symbolizing how Black voices are often policed in mainstream spaces.
What People Are Saying About Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance
having samuel as uncle sam calling calling kendrick’s performance “too ghetto” and then it cutting to his all black backup dancers dressed in the colours of the american flag? serena crip walking? during black history month? too poetic. kendrick proving why he won a pultizer ???? https://t.co/pTDZUEfS2N
— kəira ♡ (@keiranikole) February 10, 2025
and
kendrick’s jacket for the super bowl is sick as fuck i can’t stop drooling over it
also glad & love that he paired it w boot cut jeans ????
it’s just my ideal outfit
— bumpin’ that (@indecisiveswirl) February 10, 2025
and
Yes, we all know how the crowd chanted A minor like it was a sacred hymn—but can we take a minute to appreciate Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl fit?
That branded Gloria jacket wasn’t just a jacket—it was a statement. A nod to his own track from GNX, boldly displayed across the… pic.twitter.com/JiEBfV8m8w
— xMerchnain (@xMerchnain) February 11, 2025
and
Kendrick wearing flare denim pants
was not what I expected, but alrighttt.#SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/71X78lCeNA— M A U R A ✨ (@thewrightlight) February 10, 2025
and
I’m convinced y’all don’t enjoy art. That performance was a masterpiece. The imagery, the metaphors, the audacity of BLACKNESS. All during Black History Month. Yeah, y’all missed it. Kendrick Lamar ate that. #SuperBowl #KendrickBowl pic.twitter.com/K17iVLjIVh
— Listen To The Black Gay Agenda On Spotify (@ItsMicahB) February 10, 2025
and
The Super Bowl is in a BLACK ass city during BLACK History Month. It’s only right that the BLACK ass QB (w/the BLACK ass fiancée and BLACK ass agent and BLACK ass assistant coach) who plays for the team based in a BLACK ass city secures the win after this BLACK ass halftime show.
— Norma’s Granddawta ???????????????????????????????? (@lyvonnebriggs) February 10, 2025
and
“Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto”
“Uncle Sam” representing those who tell the Black community how to behave. The dancers forming a disconnected American flag.
The imagery. The cultural significance & relevance. An absolute work of art here.
Kendrick Lamar, man. #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/boVzDd1Wjv
— Casey McGaw (@CaseyyMcGaw) February 10, 2025
and
What a Black History Moment!
The Super Bowl halftime show wasn’t just about entertainment—it was a protest, and some people missed the message because they were focused on the surface. What Kendrick Lamar brought to the stage was deeper than music—it was a call to wake up.… pic.twitter.com/dTNNyhfdDA
— Taylor Denise Richardson (@astrostarbright) February 10, 2025
and
Kendrick Lamar may not be your style music and that’s ok. But the dude came out sporting the American flag, everyone was fully clothed and there was no obvious signs of satanic worship.
I understand our bar isn’t set high these days – but conservatives need to pick their…
— Courtney (@crystalandqueue) February 10, 2025
and
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