By Jelisa Gonzalez | February 24, 2025
Photo Credit: Pixabay
“Salutations! It’s your Uncle Sam and this is the great American game!”
These are the opening remarks said by Samuel L. Jackson at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. Kendrick Lamar, alongside SZA, shook the arena with their performance that included tracks encompassing political commentary and radio hits. In conversation with Shannon Johnson, a junior studying social welfare and minoring in Africana studies, she explained her thoughts on the symbolism of Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam and the entire Super Bowl performance.
“There were a lot of layers in seeing Samuel L. Jackson, especially as Uncle Sam, because he’s such a revered celebrity. But especially to the Black community because he was a Black Panther Party member and, of course, he did his big one in the acting world so it was definitely very beautiful to see that.”
In 1968 , Jackson was one of the ushers for Martin Luther King Jr’s funeral and had taken part in an equal rights protest march after his assassination. He was one of several students from his college that took his professors hostage in demanding for reform on Morehouses’ curriculum and governance. Though not a formal member of the group, he remained active until the FBI charged and convicted him of unlawful confinement, ultimately leading him to pursue a career in film.
After Jackson’s introduction, the screen pans to Lamar atop a modified 1987 Buick Grand National GNX, rapping an unreleased verse that was part of the GNX album rollout. What he says next really piques the start of the performance.
“The Revolution ‘bout to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy,” alluding to the fact that the performance is not just to entertain the masses but to send a message about the state of the world and more so the state of Black America.
“I think it was interesting the approach he took because…with life, you’re not just American and he’s not just a Black man,” Johnson said. “There’s so many new identities that come into making him who he is, and I really liked that what he brought to the forefront was making commentary on his identity as a Black American man who is also a rapper living in America. Because that adds a whole other layer of understanding of how everything played out because…from the beginning of time, there were a lot of disparages and injustices done to Black people.”
This leads to the additional layer of respectability politics, which can be alluded to in the next panning of the screen in which Samuel L. Jackson says, “No No No No No! Too Loud! Too Reckless! Too Ghetto! Mr Lamar? Do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!”
Respectability politics “is a set of social guidelines dictating acceptable behavior, from clothing to the way someone interacts with those around them. Respectability politics refers to the way that people attempting to make social change present their demands in a way that is acceptable to the dominant standards in their society.”
Shannon explained:
“It’s very deeply psychological…we’re trying to make sure we’re able to get through and survive, so we have people playing into respectability politics by either saying ‘oh for the Black people who listen to rap music; no don’t listen to rap music; you need to dress this way; you need to have your hair straight,’” Johnson said. “You see different respectability politics in different frameworks, but for Black people it’s those things that mold them into appeasing them into a white standard. People would even call out the respectability politics of his performance and how he performed in a way that doesn’t necessarily put him at the forefront of victimization with the whole U.S. trying to be more radical…he’s also calling it out but…he’s protected because he’s somebody that has more money and fame. He has a veil that if he were to be someone on a smaller level, like the man that was protesting, it would be different, so respectability politics definitely plays a role.”
Lamar fans across social media were guessing which of the songs from his extensive discography he was going to perform. There was a common trend of fans posting about songs from the album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” such as the tracks “m.A.A.d city,” “Backseat Freestyle,” and even “Swimming Pools,” Much to my surprise, Lamar showcased two songs off “DAMN.” when he performed “Humble” and “DNA” which I did not expect at all. Yet, given the prominence of respectability politics in the modern world, Lamar chose not to play into it by talking about how gang life affects Black Americans.
Lamar also ended up performing the songs “Euphoria” and the 5-time grammy winning diss track “Not Like Us” as another way of not playing into what people would have expected him to do. He teased the audience with the song but remarked, “They love to sue,” alluding to his feud with fellow rapper Drake. Instead, he moved on to a more radio-friendly track, “Luther,” followed by the smash hit “All the Stars” from the Black Panther soundtrack.
Another key moment in the performance was when Lamar stayed true to himself, only to be met with Samuel L. Jackson’s voice saying, “Deduct one life.” This could symbolize that he has “lost” the game of life for not conforming to the status quo. The visual of Lamar rapping under the giant “X” in the arena reinforces this idea, as the “X” on a PlayStation controller represents the close or exit button.
Just as soon as he seems to start tapping into what America “wants” he plays “Not Like Us” and says “It’s a cultural divide, Imma get it on the floor. 40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music. Yeah they tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence.”
40 acres and a mule was a promise to give land and mules to formerly enslaved African Americans after the Civil War. This was used as an attempt to provide reparations, but it was never fulfilled. It symbolizes the ongoing struggle for economic equity in the United States.
The moment that stood out to me was when he got the entire arena to chant “A MINOR,” followed by closing with “TV Off.” It felt as though Lamar was sending a message to those watching the Super Bowl at home to turn off their TVs after the performance, and shift their focus from sports and entertainment to the state of the world.
At the end of the performance, one can't help but think about all the political imagery and messaging that Lamar brought forth to one of the most watched events in television. His reference to Uncle Sam, American politics, and totem to respectability politics further emphasizes that his message truly does go beyond the music and serves as a ground for the greater work that America has ahead.
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