What Kendrick Lamar wore for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show
NFL
Lamar showed off his effortless style and masterful artistry, performing many of his classics, bangers, and yes, “Not Like Us.”
In the days between his sweep at the Grammys and a performance at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, journalists, hip-hop heads, music lovers, and football fans wondered: What will Kendrick Lamar wear?
One Reddit user proposed purple, perhaps as unity among California gangbangers or the American public. Vogue, too, posed the question but offered no insider scoops, simply noting, “Kendrick Lamar has always used fashion to send a message.”
In the first Super Bowl halftime teaser posted back in September, Lamar sat in front of a massive American flag creating a striking image of contrasts that challenged viewers to reconcile the differences and the sameness between what he may represent to some and what the flag may represent to others (and foreshadowing a different in-stadium contrast). In that video, Lamar invited us to join him at the half. “Wear your best-dressed, too, even if you are watching from home,” he said.
On Sunday night, after anticipation about what he might say, wear, and perform, Lamar put on a show worthy of a “best-dressed” claim.
How Kendrick Lamar showed up for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show
The pre-show outfit corroborated the Redditor’s post, Lamar strolling through the Apple Music hype video in a royal purple shirt underneath a blue varsity style jacket. The purple theme carried through to the announcer’s booth, where everyone wore a touch of purple on a necktie or pocket square.
The show opened with Lamar crouched near the same make and style vehicle on his GNX cover, illuminating him alone under a bright spotlight. A few moments in, red, white, and blue dancers jumped out of the car, cloaked nearly head-to-toe in their respective colors in the night’s first display of contrasting elements.
The standout fashion moments: his bling and that coat. The varsity leather jacket, with “Gloria” emblazoned on the front, may represent the oft-debated figure from GNX. The outerwear, drenched in red, white, and blue, was designed for his performance by British designer Martine Rose.
His attire complemented the stage design and interacted with the visual and thematic elements of the performance, rich with reference, and engaging through color and texture. His outfits reflected his essence and engaged in a larger dialogue about Los Angeles and the themes explored in his music and artistry.
And his choices told a tale of contrasts.
How Kendrick Lamar blends culture and high fashion
When Lamar says “best-dressed,” it could mean an outfit rich in meaning or hand-crafted haute couture — like the jacket he and creative partner Dave Free celebrated in a quiet study of craftsmanship, told through a single button.
We know from the performance, Lamar blended the best of both.
Asked how he defines beauty, Lamar said, “For me, beauty is the yin and yang of civilization and glory,” highlighting his penchant for the discomfort of contrast and the frictions that arise when two opposing forces occupy the same space. His art does not smooth out tension; it thrives in it. The Drake beef said it all.
Lamar’s 2023 production for a Louis Vuitton men’s show was another study in juxtaposition, where fashion met the cultural traditions of HBCU marching bands. The show was a masterclass in contrast. Uniforms — stiff and structured — met the loose, explosive movement of performance. An ancestral pulse of a drumline gave way to delicate string as Chanel glided down the runway.
Lamar thrives in that kind of interplay. His Super Bowl halftime show was no different. The style, sound, and visuals created yet another study in contrast — a hip-hop headliner during a Super Bowl, wearing dungarees, luxurious leather, and expensive jewelry boldly representing red, white, and blue.
How Kendrick Lamar uses juxtaposition and contrast
Kendrick Lamar has a gift for contrast and revealing deep connections between opposing forces. He doesn’t resolve tension; he amplifies it, turning contrast into an artistic language of its own.
In music, he blends opposing dynamics to expose deeper truths, as seen in the “Buried Alive Interlude,” an early collaboration with Drake. Both artists mirrored each other’s sound and style, drawing comparisons while using distinct lyrics to underscore their differences.
Other paradoxes have been written about and debated online, usually in reference to the “DAMN.” album, the production itself representing juxtaposition.
The biggest question, the one asked in group chats, in comments, and by traditional media outlets: Will he or won’t he perform the infamous diss track, “Not Like Us?”
He did, locking eyes with the camera at key moments, fully in on the joke. Lamar’s setlist also included fan favorites like HUMBLE., Squabble Up, and Euphoria.
“Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” commented Uncle Sam, played by Samuel L. Jackson.
Juxtaposition is common in art, and Lamar wields it expertly. This is what makes Lamar distinctive. His choices are deliberate, and more often than not, rely on juxtaposition. He doesn’t just mix high and low, streetwear and luxury. He uses contrast to tell stories and commands with simple, easy-to-understand choices.
His choices are subtle but loaded, and usually not just about aesthetics. They create impact and are accessible to anyone, whether you are a fan, whether you followed the saga, whether you are into fashion, whether you appreciate symbolism, or whether you only watched the Super Bowl for football.
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