“Since when did we want to fit in with the mainstream??” — Punch criticizes hip-hop community for commenting on Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl show

On Thursday, February 13, Punch addressed the negative commentary circulating online about Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday. In his tweet, the TDE president emphasized that the goal of artists from the “hip-hop culture” was to be their true selves and not fit in with the mainstream. He wrote: “Seeing all of the commentary surrounding the Super Bowl performance, it’s showing that we lost sight of what we’ve always fought for… to be who WE ARE as artist of Hip Hop Culture. Since when did we want to fit in with the mainstream?? lol.” Punch further wrote that while hip-hop artists like Lamar did want to perform on mainstream platforms, it was to be able to display their authenticity and not to conform to mainstream norms, which is what makes hip-hop “so appealing.” His tweet comes as many netizens on social media criticized K-Dot’s Super Bowl performance for the absence of any explosive elements, unlike other artists who have previously performed in the Halftime Show. Meanwhile, in an older tweet uploaded on Monday, the talent manager also called Lamar’s performance “historic.” Punch talked about why Kendrick Lamar didn’t include Not Like Us on his 2024 album This isn’t...