Kendrick Lamar seems to have offended people to the extent of them filing complaints with the Feds. The rapper who performed his diss track ‘Not like us’ at the Super Bowl made history that night. A recent report revealed what motivated critics to reach out to the authorities after Lamar’s performance.
The Grammy winner made history at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans with his performance. Lamar’s performance became the most-watched halftime performance in history.
Reportedly, 133.5 million viewers tuned in to watch the star perform. The record was previously held by Michael Jackson. MJ’s 1993 Super Bowl performance was watched by 133 million worldwide.
Kendrick’s performance, which lasted 13 minutes, featured several special guests. Tennis legend Serena Williams, singer SZA, and actor Samuel L Jackson joined the rapper on stage.
The musician took to the stage to perform his hit songs, including Bodies, Squabble Up, Man at the Garden, and Peekaboo. SZA joined the artist to perform their songs Luther and All the Stars. The most talked-about song that Lamar performed that night was his diss track titled ‘Not Like Us.’
The 22-time Grammy-winning artist’s performance was considered historic by some and controversial by many. The Federal Communications Commission reportedly received more than 125 complaints following the star’s New Orleans performance.
According to TMZ, around 10 of the complaints were regarding ‘Not Like Us’, which is a diss track aimed at rapper Drake. The song is considered problematic by many because of Lamar’s implication of Drake being a pedophile in the track.
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show performance received 125 FCC complaints, TMZ reports. pic.twitter.com/EALEpNWB5w
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) March 26, 2025
“Kendrick Lamar made fake false and scandalous claims that are unfounded,” one person wrote on social media, referring to the diss track. Another added, “He [said] drake was a pedophile on TV in front of million of ppl, do better, this is a sad day. A third netizen noted how Laar used his performance to push his “personal vendetta” out.
The star was also accused of being a “reverse racist” after his Super Bowl performance. A user took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to point out that all of Lamar’s backup dancers were black.
Several users took to the comments section to note defend the star aginst the claims. “I thought DEI ended? Why are you getting mad?” one user wrote. Another added, “So when movies and pretty much everything else have all white casts no one says anything and the one moment…”
not serena williams c walking with kendrick at the super bowl 💀 pic.twitter.com/g2H3ENVpUx
— Brownies & Lemonade🍫🍋 (@TeamBandL) February 10, 2025
The rapper was also accused of promoting “anti-American” themes throughout his performance. People even claimed that Serena Williams’ dance moves were problematic. Netizens alleged that the Tennis legend was promoting “gang affiliation.” The remark was regarding Serena’s “crip walk” that she performed during her cameo.
The FCC receiving complaints are a Super Bowl performance isn’t a first. Rihanna’s half-time performance from two years ago reportedly received 100 complaints. 1,300 complaints were received following Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s 2020 performance.
Lamar performed at the Super Bowl LIX. The final took place between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles emerged victorious after winning by a 40-22.
