Kendrick Lamar announced he’ll be headlining the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show live from New Orleans on February 9.
This marks the second time he’ll have the honour of taking the Halftime Show stage, following his 2022 appearance alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. The pgLang/Interscope Records artist made the reveal via Instagram on Sunday (September 8) with a video of him on the football field. The caption read simply: “Super Bowl LIX. New Orleans. February 2025. #AppleMusicHalftime.” A flurry of press releases followed and explained the show will be produced by Roc Nation and Jesse Collins Entertainment. Naturally, JAY-Z had a hand in Lamar’s selection.
The announcement arrives in the wake of Kendrick Lamar’s highly publicized lyrical joust with Drake, which included the Pulitzer Prize-winning MC’s No. 1 single “Not Like Us.” While their differences date back to the early 2010s, when Kendrick called out Drake and other rappers in his iconic verse on Big Sean’s track “Control,” the conflict escalated over the years, with both artists dropping subtle disses in their lyrics and interviews. Despite their occasional collaborations, there’s been an underlying competitive dynamic between them as two of rap’s most influential figures.