The Super Bowl halftime show is fast approaching, and there’s always as much hype around the halftime show as the game itself. It’s one of the biggest events in the music calendar after all.

Major artists including Madonna, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Rihanna have headlined their own halftime shows, and after making a guest appearance during Dr Dre’s show in 2022, Kendrick is getting one all for himself. Music icon Usher took to the NFL stage and wowed the crowd at the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

This year, the Super Bowl game (because there’s also a football game and it’s not just a concert believe it or not) will be played by two-time defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The teams will battle it out at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on 9 February.

There’s a lot to look forward to at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.

Kendrick’s fans, plus Drake who definitely is not a fan these days, will be waiting to see if the LA rapper performs his Grammy-winning hit ‘Not Like Us’.

Out of the four solo diss songs Kendrick released last year during the height of his feud with Drizzy, ‘Not Like Us’ is the one that ultimately won him the battle, with the Canadian rapper, 38, now suing record label UMG for defamation.

The last 12 months have been lucrative for Kendrick, who managed to pick up eight BET Hip Hop Awards, including song of the year and artist of the year. He also found the time to release the album GNX.

So why won’t Kendrick Lamar be paid for his Super Bowl LIX halftime show.

Well, no Super Bowl artist has ever been paid for their performance.

The NFL does, however, cover the costs to run the show, including expenses and production. Reuters estimated that this sum alone is around $13 million. For a show lasting just 15 minutes at most, it’s a lot of money.

Because the spot is so coveted, they don’t really need to pay the artists to entice them to perform.

Entertainment attorney Lori Landew, told Forbes: “The halftime show at the Super Bowl remains a highly coveted spot for many artists.

“Some of those artists do not see their appearance as a political statement, nor do they see the show as a cultural battleground, but rather view their live performance as an opportunity to entertain an enthusiastic crowd and to share their music and their talent with millions of viewers.”

Featured Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Topics: Kendrick Lamar, Super Bowl, Music, Money

Super Bowl fans are convinced they know who Kendrick Lamar will bring out as a special guest for his halftime show… let’s hope it’s not just wishful thinking.

Ever since Lamar was confirmed as the performer for this year’s final, which sees the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles, many people have been trying to guess the details of his show, from setlist to surprise guests.

Some were left wondering if he’d be bold enough to perform ‘Not Like Us’, his hit diss track against Drake, even though it recently became the subject of a highly publicised lawsuit.

Drake sued Universal Music Group for defamation and harassment after it released the diss track, with his lawyers accusing the record label of launching a ‘campaign to create a viral hit’ as Lamar describes the 38-year-old as a ‘certified p**dophile’ – claims that Drake has continuously denied.

But while many are hoping Lamar drops the controversial track live, others have gone one step further with their predictions.

One tweeted: “Calling it one last time KENDRICK WILL BRING OUT DRAKE.”

Another echoed: “Now all I need is Kendrick to bring out Drake and then I can be happy about this matchup lol.”

A third asked: “Where can I bet that Kendrick brings out Drake to rap a verse on They Not Like Us for the #SuperBowl halftime show?”

Someone else wasn’t quite so convinced, tweeting: “Someone said that Drake might pop out at the Super Bowl to perform poetic justice with Kendrick and someone commented ‘Yall think this is Marvel’.”

While we’re still in the dark about who – if anyone – Lamar will bring out, we do know that there are a number of rules he’ll have to abide by while he performs.

Firstly, songs must be shortened in order to make the medley format work. “You’re just running around for 13 minutes, trying to put like a two-hour set for 13 minutes,” 2023 headliner Rihanna said at a press conference.

Inappropriate gestures can also land artists in a lot of trouble, with explicit language not allowed for the halftime show – something that rapper M.I.A learnt the hard way when she received a $16.6 million fine after displaying the middle finger during her performance with Super Bowl XLVI headliner Madonna.

Performers also have to be ready to hit the stage in just six minutes, and the show must go on regardless of the weather.