{"id":449,"date":"2025-02-10T19:09:20","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T19:09:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/?p=449"},"modified":"2025-02-10T19:09:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T19:09:20","slug":"halftime-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/?p=449","title":{"rendered":"Halftime Message"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

First off, I appreciate all the texts, calls, and posts checking in on me after the Chiefs lost\u2014you\u2019d think somebody died! But what really had me thinking this morning wasn\u2019t the game itself, but the commentary surrounding the halftime show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I heard Lurie Daniels-Favors say something that clicked for me: Kendrick\u2019s performance was \u201cfor smart Black people.\u201d I sat with that for a minute. Then I realized I needed to shed some light for those who might not fall into that category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you were just looking to be entertained, I get your disappointment. But instead of a minstrel show, Kendrick gave us a message\u2014actually, many<\/em> messages. Here\u2019s what I picked up after rewatching it a couple of times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Imagery and Symbolism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samuel L. Jackson as America\u2019s Uncle<\/em> immediately struck me. Two things came to mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. We are the original<\/em> man\u2014so of course, America\u2019s uncle should be Black.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. But I also saw the duality between his portrayal of Uncle Sam<\/em> and his character Stephen<\/em> from Django Unchained<\/em>, who would do anything to keep \u201cMassa\u201d comfortable.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    When Sam introduced the show with, \u201cIt\u2019s your Uncle Sam, and this is the great American game,\u201d he wasn\u2019t talking about football. Notice the first image we see\u2014a tic-tac-toe board. X\u2019s and O\u2019s flash, but three spaces are blocked. Is the game rigged? Or just impossible to win?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kendrick\u2019s Lyrics: More Than Entertainment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kendrick\u2019s opening lines:
    \u201cEverybody must be judged, but this time God is only favoring us\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As a group of Black men poured out of that black Grand National, he followed with:
    \u201cJohnny and Q (remember John Q. Public) started with nothing but government cheese, but now I can seize the government too.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Then came the line that set the tone for the rest of the performance:
    \u201cThe revolution about to be televised, you picked the right moment, but the wrong guy.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you were still expecting simple entertainment, you probably checked out right here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Push and Pull<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Samuel L. Jackson cuts in:
    \u201cToo loud, too reckless, too ghetto! Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In my mind, all I could see was Stephen<\/em> again, telling Kendrick not to offend, upset, or scare the white folks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kendrick appears<\/em> to comply, launching into Be Humble<\/em> with its laid-back beat and the line:
    \u201cI remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But if you actually listen<\/em> to the lyrics, he\u2019s celebrating his success while staying unapologetically Black\u2014all while standing in the middle of a divided flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Layers Upon Layers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Then DNA<\/em> hits:
    \u201cI got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA\u2026 quarter piece, got war and peace inside my DNA\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That\u2019s a universal truth for Black people. But Kendrick isn\u2019t done. He transitions into Euphoria<\/em>, tweaking the lyrics. This isn\u2019t just a diss track for Drake anymore. When he says:
    \u201cI ain\u2019t thinkin\u2019 about no reaper, n<\/em>** I\u2019m reapin\u2019 what I sow\u2026*\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He\u2019s speaking to a bigger reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Deeper Messages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the interlude, Kendrick freestyles:
    \u201cWhy y\u2019all think you deserve the greatest of all time?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Again, he\u2019s not just talking about hip-hop\u2014he\u2019s talking to America<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sam reappears:
    \u201cI see you brought the homeboys with you\u2014the old culture cheat code. Scorekeeper, deduct one life.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A game reference? Or a Black life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Final Act: The Revolution Televised<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kendrick drops Peekaboo<\/em>:
    \u201cGive a helping hand to your fellow man, oh my, what?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He teases They Not Like Us<\/em>, calling it their \u201cfavorite\u201d (Grammy-winning) song:
    \u201cBut you know they like to sue.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sure, that\u2019s about Drake\u2014but maybe not just<\/em> him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sam chimes in again:
    \u201cYou done lost your damn mind!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As Luther Vandross<\/em> croons If This World Were Mine<\/em>, Kendrick sings:
    \u201cI\u2019d take your dreams and make them multiply, take your enemies in front of God\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    SZA<\/em> then softens the tone, but the message stays sharp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    The Closer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They duet into All The Stars<\/em>. The melody\u2019s smooth, but listen to the lyrics. Sam pops back in:
    \u201cYou\u2019re almost there\u2014don\u2019t mess this up.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But then\u2014boom\u2014the first six notes of They Not Like Us<\/em> drop. Instead of the usual verse, Kendrick spits:
    \u201cIt\u2019s a cultural divide, I\u2019ma get it on the floor. (Girl asks\u2014Are you really \u2019bout to do it?) 40 acres and a mule, this bigger than the music\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is bigger than Drake.
    \u201cThey tried to rig the game, but you can\u2019t fake influence\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He finally names Drake\u2014but by then, you should know this ain\u2019t about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    DJ Mustard<\/em> comes out, telling us to \u201cTurn the TV Off<\/em>.\u201d Kendrick closes with a freestyle:
    \u201cSuper Bowl made the feat, you\u2019re diabetic, mouth be full of deceit\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, he says:
    \u201cTurn this TV off.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kendrick gave us a masterclass\u2014delivering powerful messages to Black people under the guise of entertainment. For those mad they didn\u2019t get a dance-and-jig halftime show, maybe follow the breadcrumbs. The knowledge was there\u2014you just had to catch it in that thirteen-minute performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And for those dragging Serena<\/em> for crip-walking? Do a deeper dive into who she is and where she comes from. Educate yourself before you speak.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    First off, I appreciate all the texts, calls, and posts checking in on me after the Chiefs lost\u2014you\u2019d think somebody died! But what really…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":4,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blackness","category-society"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=449"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/449\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":451,"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/449\/revisions\/451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackmanwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}