Rapper Kendrick Lamar to host next Super Bowl halftime show in February 2025

The halftime show for the upcoming Super Bowl will be performed by Kendrick Lamar, the NFL, Roc Nation and Apple Music announced Sunday, September 8, as co-producers of the show. The musical event is a tradition during the American football championship game, on February 9, 2025 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

In February 2022, the Super Bowl halftime show, orchestrated by Dr. Dre, made history due to its 100% hip-hop nature. Kendrick Lamar was a guest, along with other legends like Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Mary J Blige. This time, Kendrick Lamar will also be the artistic director of the most watched show by Americans. It now exceeds 110 million viewers each year, with a record 123.4 million viewers ahead of Usher’s show in 2024.

“Rap remains the most impactful genre to this day. And I’ll be here to remind the world why.“, Kendrick Lamar said in a statement.They chose the right one“. The 37-year-old rapper posted a funny video on Instagram in which he practices throwing balls with a launcher on a football field, in front of a huge United States flag, and invites people to come see him in New Orleans that day and “to put on your best dress, even if you are watching from home“.

In a separate statement, Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation is co-producing the show, said: “Kendrick Lamar is the kind of artist and performer that only comes along once in a generation. His deep love for hip-hop and the culture fuels his artistic vision. (…) Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”

Kendrick Lamar, whose latest album Mr Morale & the Big Steppers was released in 2022, has been engaged for months in a song-based tug-of-war with Canadian rapper Drake, notably through the hit Not Like Us.