The Superbowl's propaganda Americana and messages of "unity" were insufferable and infantilizing sportswashing to distract from our political horrors. But Kendrick's halftime show was elegant, self-reflective, packed with symbolism and callbacks, and Black with a capital B, all performed in front of a racist tyrant.
Not Like Us has transcended a rap beef, transforming Drake into an avatar of everything wrong with this country: colonization, misogynoir, pedophilia, greed. This performance was the coup de grâce in one of the most relentless, brutal and breathtaking multimedia projects of our time.
Kendrick has been a huge influence on my work. Great artists make other artists feel proud and energized. I felt defibrillated.
How pop culture defines how we view ourselves: POST and Analog Cruising.
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