Rap great Kendrick Lamar was announced as the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show headlining performer on Sunday (Sept. 8). Despite much criticism from the hip-hop world about the NFL’s decision — as some voiced their hopes to see Lil Wayne on the Super Bowl stage, with the big game being played in his hometown of New Orleans next February — many fans immediately started to envision what Lamar’s set might consist of.
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar said. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”
Jay-Z, who has served as a co-producer of the Halftime Show since Roc Nation entered a partnership with the NFL in 2019, gushed about Lamar and championed him as a “once-in-a-generation” type of artist and performer.
“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” Hov said in a statement. “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”
With 75 Billboard Hot 100 entries to his name across six studio albums, whittling down Lamar’s discography into a 15-minute performance is sure to be a tough proposition.
K. Dot has been no stranger to collaborations throughout his career either. From Taylor Swift to SZA and Travis Scott, Kendrick has a plethora of possibilities when it comes to shocking the Super Bowl audience and inviting some of his peers to join him on the world’s biggest stage.
While he certainly can’t bring them all out, here are some guests we want to see hit the stage with Kendrick Lamar.
Hip-hop icons from Master P to Nicki Minaj has spoken out in support of Lil Wayne, hoping that Weezy would be selected as the Halftime Show headliner with the game in his hometown. There’s still hope for Wayne to hit the Super Bowl stage, though, if Kendrick elects to bring him out. They collaborated in 2018 for Carter V standout “Mona Lisa,” which hit No. 2 on the Hot 100. Wayne did recently admit that he forgot the lyrics to “Mona Lisa,” though, so he’d have brush up a little first.
SZA has checked a ton of items off her career bucket list in recent years and she could make another splash with a Super Bowl appearance alongside her Top Dawg Entertainment running mate. “All The Stars” was a Hot 100 top 10 hit, and the Black Panther: The Album standout would be a welcomed addition to the big game setlist.
A full West Coast invasion in the Big Easy. Jay Rock is on the short list of special guests the Kendrick faithful would love to see on the grand stage. The TDE rapper shined to deliver his magnum opus on Lamar’s “Money Trees,” and they later teamed up on “King’s Dead” with Future and James Blake in 2018.
Travis Scott had his first Super Bowl moment in 2019 when he performed “SICKO MODE” while sharing the stage with Maroon 5 and Big Boi. Perhaps he could make a return for “Goosebumps” with K. Dot, which has been a staple of La Flame’s discography and would be the cherry on top of his Circus Maximus Tour.
Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar set the rap game on fire with their atomic “Like That” earlier in 2024, which landed on Future and Metro’s We Don’t Trust You album. The Hot 100-topping banger would surely be a welcome sight for fans during K. Dot’s Super Bowl set, as “Like That” lit the fuse heading into Lamar’s battle with Drake shortly after.
Kendrick Lamar might throw his younger cousin Baby Keem the ultimate alley-oop when bringing him out for a cameo next February. The family affair would bring another dimension to the performance if they unite for “Family Ties” — or go another direction with “The Hillbillies.”
Rihanna is fresh off performing at the Super Bowl as the headlining act in 2022 where she debuted her second baby bump. RiRi and Kendrick teamed up for “Loyalty” on Lamar’s DAMN. album. The collab cracked the Hot 100’s top 20 and won best rap/sung performance at the 2018 Grammy Awards.
Taylor Swift invited Kendrick Lamar into the pop world when he hopped on the remix to her “Bad Blood” hit in 2015. The Max Martin-produced anthem originally landed on Swift’s 1989 album and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. T-Swift has been touring across the globe on her Eras Tour and is yet to grace the Super Bowl stage.