by nahlah abdur-rahman
March 26, 2025
And the crowd loved it.
During a second quarter break during Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors, the Atlanta Hawks paid tribute to Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show.
The Hawks’ tribute featured a rendition of Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us” as performed at the big game. The Atlanta team’s mascot, Harry the Hawk, took on the role of Lamar with a fake “a” chain and outfit. The dance team followed his steps in recreating the iconic scene.
The tribute also featured an emcee wearing an “Uncle Sam” outfit like the one actor Samuel L. Jackson donned in the halftime show. The Hawks crowd dug the performance, with Hot97 reporting that the audience also echoed the popular “A minor” line.
Lamar’s performance and set of diss tracks against Drake have become an ongoing cultural phenomenon. The show set a viewership record for the Super Bowl. “Not Like Us” also scored five wins, including Record and Song of the Year, at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
The cultural impact has led to further speculation that the rapper will continue his victory lap. Casey Wasserman, an organizing leader for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, hinted at Lamar’s inclusion in the festivities.
“Fortunately, in my day job, I represent Kendrick Lamar,” Wasserman told the Associated Press. “He is truly an LA icon. So I think it would be a pretty fair bet that Kendrick will be involved in the Olympics in Los Angeles in some way.”
Drake, Lamar’s musical adversary, wants to move past the historic rap beef. The rapper released his joint project, Some Sexy Songs 4 U, with Partynextdoor on Valentine’s Day. The album reached #1 on the Billboard 200.
Lamar, on the other hand, will promote his hit song and accompanying album independently. His Grand National Tour with Sza begins April 19 in Minneapolis.
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