Kendrick stole the show

For millions of people, the Super Bowl is the most highly anticipated event of the year — in sports or otherwise. With all due respect to baseball fans, it is the culmination of America’s actual favorite pastime. (The numbers don’t lie.) For other people, the “big game” is simply an excuse for presenting a half-time extravaganza — much like airports are an excuse for the money-printing prowess of parking garages. This year’s show featured Kendrick Lamar, the diminutive superstar rapper whose biggest hit, “Not Like Us,” was ubiquitous last year. Seriously, I’m not sure that there was anywhere on the planet where one could escape that song’s hypnosis-inducing beat, brought to us courtesy of DJ Mustard. While the 1968 Mexico Olympics will forever be remembered most for Tommie Smith’s and John Carlos’s silent protest, New Orleans’ Super Bowl 59 will always be hailed (and lamented) for Lamar’s stunning visual ingenuity and irrepressible aural virtuosity. If you didn’t actually witness Lamar’s performance, there is virtually no chance that you haven’t heard about it. Lamar transported the rawness of the street to the highly managed corporate stage, inviting all of America (and much of the world) into a discussion of Black life....