5 Favorite Moments From the Kendrick Lamar Concert

His Superbowl performance was a masterclass in storytelling.

Last night, during Superbowl LIX (59), Kendrick Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, petty Gemini sun, and expert storyteller gave us a performance that was for us, by us. And he did it while wearing a pair of bootcut/flared leg jeans that were perfectly molded to his body — apparently the jeans are by the brand Celine. But I know vintage American Eagle jeans when I see them.

There’s going to be many think pieces today about the Kendrick concert, and I’ll be rubbing my hands together like Birdman, reading every single one, especially the ones written by Black folks who know what they’re talking about.

However, I’ll try and keep my own thoughts brief. Let’s get into my favorite moments…

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1. Samuel Jackson as Uncle Sam (or Uncle Tom)

I like seeing Samuel Jackson in anything, but having him kick off Kendrick’s performance was such an intentional and smart choice. For the unfamiliar, Uncle Sam is an early 19th-century American symbol that was frequently used in military propaganda. He’s a fictional white men, swathed in red, white, and blue, with a stern face that was used to lure young men into fighting for their country.

During the halftime performance, Samuel Jackson’s version of Uncle Sam was more of an Uncle Tom, telling Kendrick to be mindful and demure, as opposed to “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto.”

It’s a reminder that internalized anti-Blackness is a very real and important thing to confront and unlearn.

2. The American Flag

I just know Trump was somewhere with steam coming out of his orange ears, at the sight of Black men dressed in red, white, and blue, forming an American flag with their bodies. One of the tenants of white supremacy is revisionism, and many white people love to pretend that this country wasn’t build off of the sweat and subjugation of Black people.

Kendrick said in case y’all forgot, we built this.

I do wish there had been Black women in this tableau, because Black women helped build this country, and often get the least amount of credit for doing so.

3. Serena Williams and her C-Walk

I aspire to reach this level of not letting people play in my face. Kendrick was more than capable of eviscerating Drake on his own, but then said teamwork makes the dream work. So he enlisted Serena Williams to crip walk to his Grammy Award-winning diss track that fires shots at her ex Drake.

Williams and Drake reportedly dated on and off from 2011 to 2015 before she married Alexis Ohanian. Prior to their dating, Drake was being a creep, popping up at her Serena’s matches and making lewd comments. Brotha eww.

I love that Kendrick and Serena put their pettiness together like a gem from Steven Universe.

4. Say Drake I Hear You Like Em’ Young

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If I got clowned this hard, on one of the biggest performance stages, by somebody wearing jeans that look like they’re from a 2004 Delia’s catalog, I would throw myself off of a cliff.

Kendrick looked dead into the camera, with a grin and said “Say Drake, I hear you like ‘em young,” while millions of people watched.

Mind you, this was after he teased performing “Not Like Us,” and then said, “you know how they like to sue.”

Somebody needs to check on Drake.

5. All the Stars

Life hasn’t been right since the first Black Panther movie came out. Do you remember the feeling of walking out of a Black Panther screening while “All the Stars” beat in our ears? It felt empowering like we could do anything, no vibranium needed.

I got hit by that nostalgia last night when Kendrick and SZA performed “All the Stars.”

It felt like a beautiful bookend to a performance that, in 15 minutes, gave us subversion, affirmation, and Blackness.

Kendrick ate that.