I am a baby boomer in my early ’70s, (I can’t believe I just wrote that). Although I knew Kendrick Lamar earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 I am not that familiar with his music. Despite that fact, I was able to immediately pick up on the tone, the tenor and the symbolism used in his Super Bowl halftime performance. It was deep! It was perfect for the moment in time we’re experiencing today in the United States and it was profound. It was also, at least for me, encouraging because it showed conclusively that Generations X, Y, Z and Alpha are not blind to the madness that’s being perpetrated by the leadership in this country.
His opening comment, “The revolution ‘bout to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy,” was a definite reference to the Last Poets’, “When the Revolution Comes” and Gil Scott-Heron’s poem entitled, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” When I heard him say that, all I could do was just holler and throw up both my hands because I sensed he was about to speak Truth to Power. In the Book of Acts, Chapter 4:20, Peter and John said, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Peter and John were ordered by religious authorities to cease preaching about Jesus, yet they showed commitment by proclaiming their experiences and the truth they knew, regardless of potential consequences. In the same way Kendrick Lamar utilized the Super bowl stage to address complex topics such as racial inequality and political tensions regardless of potential backlash. Both instances highlight our need as individuals to speak out and shed light on pressing societal issues. In both cases, there’s an underlying principle of prioritizing truth and personal conviction over external pressures to remain silent.
The performance by Mr. Lamar actually ought to serve as a call to action for the Legislative and Judicial leaders of our country to put a stop to the strong arm tactics of Donald Trump and Elon Musk as they endeavor to take over this nation and eliminate democracy. I agree with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer that, “An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government.” Based on Kendrick Lamar’s message and performance during Super Bowl LIX, other people think the same. Do you? If you do, then in the words of the great Sam (Uncle Sam) Jackson, “That’s what I’m talking about!”
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