This is exactly the wrong message,” to which Lamar responded via TMZ, “How can you take a song about hope and turn it into hatred?” The performance, during which Lamar rapped alongside two vandalized police cars, was denounced by Fox News host Geraldo Rivera, who said, “This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years. Although “Alright” is widely considered an anthem of hope, celebration, and recovery, the song was the subject of criticism after Lamar performed it at the 2015 BET Awards. Lamar’s “Alright” from his 2015 album, “To Pimp A Butterfly,” provides a personal account of turning trauma into triumph, a theme which is pervasive in Lamar’s work.
Dre's signature 1999 hit “Still D.R.E.,” in which he mentions “not lovin’ police.” However, during a key moment of the song, Lamar was apparently muted, and it was while he was uttering the pre-chorus lyrics, “And we hate po-po / Wanna kill us dead in the street fo sho,” that the word “po-po” was missing.Ī representative for the NFL denied interfering with this year’s performers and lyrics, however, according to Eriq Gardner of Puck News, the NFL attempted to cut a line from Dr. Blige, 50 Cent, and Eminem, Lamar performed his 2015 single “Alright,” an anthem supporting racial change and condemning police brutality. Sunday evening’s Super Bowl LVI drew criticism from viewers following the apparent censorship of Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics tied to police brutality during the show’s halftime performance.ĭuring the show led by Dr.