Kendrick Lamar to headline 2025 Super Bowl half-time show

Grammy Award winning hip-hop megastar Kendrick Lamar will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans next year.

The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced on Sunday that Lamar would lead the halftime festivities from the Caesars Superdome on 9 February 2025.

Lamar, 37, stated that he’s looking forward to bringing hip-hop to the NFL's championship game, where he performed as a guest artist with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Eminem in 2022.

The Super Bowl is the biggest sports event in the US, drawing tens of millions of viewers.

“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date," Lamar said in a statement. "And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”

Rapper Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation works with the NFL to choose the halftime show performer, called Lamar a "once-in-a-generation artist". 

He added: "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."

As for Seth Dudowsky, the head of music at the NFL, he stated: “Time and time again, Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop.”

Lamar is known as one of the music genre’s most inventive lyricists. He has experienced massive success since his debut album 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' in 2012. Since then, he's accumulated 17 Grammy wins, been elevated to stardom with his record-breaking ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album 'DAMN.' The rapper's latest album 'Mr. Morale & The Big