All of Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 2025 Halftime Show Easter Eggs

Ahead of Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show, the rapper teased that the performance would include "storytelling."

"I think I've always been very open about storytelling through, through all my catalog and my history of music, and I've always had a passion about bringing that on whatever stage I'm on," he told Apple Music during a pre-Super Bowl press conference.

His halftime show did just that. Throughout the 12-minute performance, Lamar, 37, brought out SZA, Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams. He also nodded to his ongoing feud with Drake, which has reached a fever pitch thanks to Lamar's Grammy-winning diss track "Not Like Us."

Mustard, who produced "Not Like Us," also made an appearance onstage — which featured the shapes from a Playstation controller's buttons.

Here are the Easter eggs that shaped Lamar's performance at the Caesar Superdome on Feb. 9.

The GNX Album Cover

Right at the start of his performance, Lamar recreates the album cover for GNX as he sits on top of a limited edition submodel of the Buick Regal muscle car's hood. The type of car is reportedly what Lamar's dad drove him home in from the hospital when he was born.

Serena Williams' Surprise Appearance

Tennis superstar Serena Willams — who also happens to be Drake's ex — made a surprise appearance during the halftime show. She danced the crip walk, a dance move from the 1970s made famous by the Los Angeles Crips.

Williams' dance called back to her on-court celebration in 2012 after she beat Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon. She faced significant backlash, with many critics calling it inappropriate while others came to her defense, calling the criticism unnecessary.

Williams, 43, addressed the incident on Feb. 9. "Man, I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Ooh, I would’ve been fined," she said in a video shared on X.

Lamar and Williams are both natives of Compton. He even mentions her in "Not Like Us," rapping: "better not speak on Serena." One fan called her cameo "diabolical."

Drake's Connection to SZA

SZA frequently collaborates with Lamar and is going on tour with him later this year. However, her appearance also connects her to Drake, 38. They dated in 2009 and collaborated on a song in 2023 called "Slime You Out."

Drake namedropped SZA in 2020 in the song "Mr. Right Now." Yeah, said she wanna f--- to some SZA, wait / 'Cause I used to date SZA back in '08," he raps in the track. "If you cool with it, baby, she can still play / While I jump inside that box and have a field day."

SZA, 35, reflected on their relationship in a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone. "We were really young," she said at the time. "It wasn’t hot and heavy or anything. It was like youth vibes. It was so childish."

Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam

The Pulp Fiction actor, 76, served as the emcee for Lamar's performance as "Uncle Sam," dressed in a patriotic suit and top hat. Jackson's role in the halftime show was to provide commentary and guide Lamar's performance to be appropriate.

At one point after Lamar rapped "Squabble Up," Jackson antagonized him, perhaps referring to a letter Louisiana lawmakers wrote, asking Lamar to keep his halftime show "family friendly" after previous "lewd" and "offensive" shows.

"Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto," he said. "Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!" Lamar responds by not challenging Uncle Sam but by delivering throughout the performance. Once SZA comes out, their segment of "Luther" and "All the Stars" are "calm," said Jackson, briefly satisfying him.

"Thats what America wants! Nice and calm. You're almost there, don't mess this... " Jackson says before Lamar launches into "Not Like Us." Jackson's defeated Uncle Sam then exits the Caesars Superdome stage.

"You Know They Love To Sue"

Before performing the Grammy-winning song, Lamar said, "I want to play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue," with the song's riff playing briefly. Lamar is likely referring to the lawsuit Drake filed his and Lamar's record label, Universal Music Group, alleging defamation for Lamar accusing Drake of "being a pedophile" in "Not Like Us."

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE that were filed in January, Drake alleged that UMG "approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him."

The documents claimed that the label "repeatedly defamed Drake while 'exploiting' and 'monetizing' his work" by releasing "Not Like Us." UMG denied the allegations.

When Lamar eventually did rap "Not Like Us," he cut those particular lyrics for the broadcast.

American Flag Dance Formation

The dancers wearing red, white and blue costumes were key in creating imagery for Lamar's halftime show. At one point, they create the American flag in the formation surrounding the rapper. One online user posited that this image comments on how America was "built on the backs of Black people."

At one point, the dancers also turned away from each other, creating a divide where Lamar stood.

Playstation Controller Stage Setup

At a couple points during the performance, the cameras panned out to show the stage, which featured shapes one might find on a Playstation video game controller.

Playstation is owned by SONY — the same company that owns Drake's label, UMG. The stands also lit up with "GAME OVER" at the end of the show as though to put the nail in the proverbial coffin of his beef with Drake. Are things adding up yet?

A Minor Necklace

Fans speculated that his necklace featuring a lowercase "A" was in reference to the "Not Like Us" lyric: "Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A-minor."