Kendrick Lamar’s powerful and unapologetic halftime performance at Super Bowl LIX apparently left some viewers in their feelings.
According to new records obtained by The Hill, the Federal Communications Commission received 125 complaints about Lamar’s set, with some viewers objecting to what they called “provocative” language and “racial bias,” citing the lack of white performers.
“There wasn’t one white person in the whole show,” said one complaint out of Ocean City, Maryland. “If it was all white, it would be a different story,” one complainer wrote.
One complaint from Daytona Beach took it further: “I want to know why is it that there was not one white person involved? I felt discriminated against. And why was Uncle Sam Black when Uncle Sam is white?”
A viewer from Illinois reportedly wrote, “My younger kids did not need to see and hear this!”. Another from North Carolina said they were glad they couldn’t understand Kendrick’s lyrics, but took the time to look them up anyway… and were “appalled.”
The Grammy-winning rapper delivered an emotionally charged set that included his Drake diss “Not Like Us.” Cameos from Serena Williams and Samuel L. Jackson added even more cultural weight to the performance, which was praised by fans globally.
The performance, which aired during the record-breaking matchup between the Eagles and the Chiefs at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, drew nearly 128 million viewers — making it one of the most-watched events in TV history.
