Kendrick Lamar ruffled more than a few feathers with his Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year, no matter what ideological group you identify as. But one of its main participants, Samuel L. Jackson, recently reflected on feeling like he was a part of something greater, even if he didn't know it until it was time to hit the stage.
As caught by The Art Of Dialogue on Twitter, the entertainment legend recently sat down with the Mad Sad Bad podcast. During their conversation, he recalled how he didn't know what the idea behind the halftime show was until dress rehearsals. In other words, Jackson didn't connect the dots of the "Great American Game" until it was right there in front of him.
For those unaware or those who forgot, Samuel L. Jackson played "Uncle Sam" in the halftime show, dressed in his best United States garb. The show portrayed the "Great American Game" as it relates to the Black community and hip-hop culture in particular, using simple but effective imagery.
Clipse & Kendrick Lamar
"See, I didn't know that's what they were doing," Samuel L. Jackson said of Kendrick Lamar's performance. "Well, it was kind of trippy because, when we were rehearsing, we just had our clothes on. [...] It wasn't until dress rehearsal when I looked on that stage and I go, 'Oh s**t, that's a flag.' [...] We're being revolutionary. 'Cause I wasn't listening or paying attention.
"'Yeah, you picked the right person, but the wrong time.' I was like, 'Oh s**t, okay, here I am again,'" he continued. "Something about me or my persona has put me in the right place at the right time. The change of the zeitgeist, in a way, in a lot of different moments in my life. And I have to accept that that's what I'm meant to be sometimes. An agent of change, whether I know it or not, and to be proud of it."
From there, Samuel L. Jackson spoke on his ability to influence the masses in a positive manner and his will to be on the right side of history. He also spoke on feeling like he was a part of change during the Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl halftime show.
Meanwhile, we're all waiting on Kendrick Lamar's upcoming feature on Let God Sort Em Out. The Clipse comeback album was already one of 2025's most anticipated drops, so we'll see how much fire this fuels.
