The first rapper to headline the N.F.L.’s biggest stage solo made his Drake diss “Not Like Us” the centerpiece of his set at the expense of a larger statement.

Pulitzer-Prize and Grammy winning rapper Kendrick Lamar was the headlining halftime performer at Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans on Sunday. Lamar was joined in the performance by frequent collaborator SZA.

NEW ORLEANS — A performer who was part of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show was detained by security after waving the Sudanese flag and Palestinian flag together with the words “Sudan” and “Gaza” written on them toward the end of the performance, the NFL said.

From the superstar's most fleet-footed moment to an unexpected stage crasher, these in-stadium moments were missed by the millions of TV viewers.

With actor Samuel L. Jackson serving as emcee and dressed like “Uncle Sam,” Kendrick Lamar opened his halftime performance crouched atop a Buick Grand National Experimental — the car for which his newest album,

From 'Not Like Us' to 'DNA' and 'Luther' with SZA, here's every song Kendrick Lamar performed at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans.

A performer at Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show unfurled a flag emblazoned with the words Sudan and Gaza in a protest over the two wars that are roiling the Middle East.

No one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent,” the N.F.L. said in a statement about the protest during Kendrick Lamar’s show.