Op-Ed: Super Bowl halftime show a cultural wake-up call

By Michelle Gaber >>

American rapper Kendrick Lamar headlined the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, delivering a performance that wasn’t just entertainment. It was a statement. A warning. A mirror held up to America. 

Every moment—every lyric, visual, and movement—was intentional. And if you were really paying attention, you felt it.

More than music, this was a reality check from a groundbreaking Grammy-winning rapper who made history in 2018 as the first non-classical or jazz artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for music for his album DAMN.

DAMN explored themes of race, faith and identity, weaving personal narratives with social commentary. 

His halftime show, which featured Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, Mustard and Serena Williams, did the same.

Here are the other messages you might have missed.

Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam: A warning to Kendrick

Jackson didn’t just show up—he represented something. Dressed as Uncle Sam but carrying the energy of his “Django Unchained” character, he symbolized the forces that keep Black artists in check. It felt like he wasn’t just acting, he was delivering a message. A reminder to Kendrick: Play the game the way they expect, or they’ll make you pay for it.

The Squid Game: A Metaphor for America

That stage setup wasn’t random. It looked like Squid Game for a reason. The entire show carried the same message as the series: The system is designed for the rich to thrive while the poor fight for survival. And just like in Squid Game, the players think they have a choice. But do they really?

The Divided Flag: America, exposed

At first, the dancers seemed to form the American flag. But look closer—something was off. The red, white, and blue weren’t blending. They were separated. That wasn’t just a design choice; it was a statement about a divided country. About who gets freedom, justice, and opportunity—and who gets left out.

The Prison Yard: Mass Incarceration in plain sight

That setting? It looked like a prison yard for a reason. Too many people still don’t see how mass incarceration is modern-day slavery. Too many people think it’s just “how the system works.” This moment was a reminder: The system is working exactly as it was designed to.

Protecting Black Women: A Response to Drake

The nod to Serena Williams? That wasn’t accidental. After Drake’s blatant disrespect, this was a statement: Black women will be protected. They deserve respect. And karma is always watching.

‘They Not Like Us’: A Message to the Industry

That line wasn’t just for Canadian rapper Drake, with whom Lamar has had a long-running  feud.  It was bigger than that. It was a statement about the music industry, about culture vultures, about the way Black creativity is stolen, copied and watered down while the people who created it are pushed aside.

GAME OVER: But for whom?

If you caught the words GAME OVER spelled out in the audience, you probably asked yourself: Game over for what? For whom? Was this a declaration that the old ways are done? A warning that those in power are losing control? The ambiguity was the point; it forced us to question what comes next.

This performance was a challenge.It was about power. About survival. About truth.

It told us to wake up. To stop being distracted. To see what’s really happening.

Michelle Gaber is an event producer and DJ in Miami, where she channels her love for music, hip-hop and the arts into projects for social change. Michelle co-founded the Seed Food & Wine Festival, the nation’s premiere plant-based food event.. She has contributed to The Wire Magazine in Miami and served as a guest editor for Thrive Vegan Magazine. 

Selection of reviews from between the coasts

• The St. Louis American
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• The Daily Illini
• Columbia Chronicle
• Daily Sentinel
• Daily Herald