Unabridged: Kendrick’s “Great American Game” with David Dennis Jr.

Summary

The Stacks Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: Unabridged: Kendrick’s “Great American Game” with David Dennis Jr.
Release Date: February 14, 2025
Hosts: Traci Thomas and David Dennis Jr.
Podcast Description: The Stacks is your one-stop shop to talk books and reading. Guests join host Traci Thomas for lively discussions about books and their impact on culture, race, politics, and more. Each month, Traci and a guest break down a selected book in detail as part of The Stacks Book Club.

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Introduction

In this special bonus episode of The Stacks, host Traci Thomas is joined by ESPN personality and author David Dennis Jr. to delve into Kendrick Lamar's highly anticipated halftime show at the Super Bowl. Released a week earlier for subscribers on Substack and Patreon, this episode offers in-depth analysis and personal insights into the performance that captivated audiences nationwide.

Pre-Show Expectations and Anticipations

Traci Thomas opens the discussion by highlighting the sudden decision to release this bonus content ahead of schedule due to the buzz surrounding Kendrick Lamar's halftime show. She expresses excitement about sharing their "hottest takes, highest joys, lowest lows, and loudest opinions" on the performance.

David Dennis Jr. recounts his experience attending the Super Bowl, mentioning writing an article about the halftime show and the immediate impact it had upon release. He emphasizes the significance of the event, stating, "It's got to go up tonight. It's done." ([04:06])

Traci and David discuss their anticipations prior to the show. David notes the high expectations placed on Kendrick, considering it a defining performance of his career. He explains the delicate balance Kendrick had to maintain, avoiding being overshadowed by other artists like Drake, and the added pressure of potential political undertones, such as any references to Donald Trump. ([08:26])

Traci adds her perspective, sharing her own anxieties and speculative thoughts while at a pre-game party. She reflects on the unpredictability of Kendrick's creative choices, illustrating the depth of Kendrick's artistry: "everything he's done has felt so obvious, but when you try to predict it, it's like you can't even come close to the vision that he has." ([10:25])

Audience Reactions and Cultural Context

A significant portion of the conversation centers around the audience's reaction during the halftime show, particularly the boos directed at Taylor Swift, which Traci attributes to Philadelphia sports fans rather than the music itself.

Traci humorously expresses her frustration: "Everybody knows I hate Taylor Swift... But if you are new to sports because of Taylor Swift, there's only one thing you need to know about sports fans, and that's Philadelphia fans are gonna fucking boo." ([05:10])

David elaborates on the notorious reputation of Philadelphia fans, referencing their history of booing prominent figures during games, such as Santa Claus at a Christmas football game. He contextualizes the boos during Kendrick's halftime show as part of this longstanding fan behavior rather than a targeted response to the performer. ([05:10])

Traci further clarifies the broader implications of fan behavior, distinguishing between different cities and their fanbases. She contrasts the Philadelphia fans with those of the San Francisco 49ers, highlighting the unique culture and expectations of each group's supporters. ([06:39])

Kendrick Lamar's Halftime Performance Breakdown

The core of the episode dissects Kendrick Lamar's halftime show, titled "The Great American Game," exploring its themes, execution, and cultural significance.

Traci describes the thematic essence of the show as a metaphor for the challenges faced by Black Americans, likening it to a video game where players navigate societal obstacles. She commends Kendrick for embedding deeper meanings within his performance, stating, "It's a metaphor for the games we play as black people in America." ([08:09])

David and Traci discuss the initial segments of the performance, highlighting the introduction by Samuel L. Jackson and the inclusion of an unreleased song from Kendrick's anticipated album "GNX." They critique the choice to open with new material that few had heard, questioning its effectiveness and coherence within the high-stakes environment of the Super Bowl stage. ([13:10])

Notable Quotes:

• David Dennis Jr. on the challenge Kendrick faced: "he had to make this the defining performance of my life. So I'm not going to go up there and spend 15 minutes being like, screw you to like, one single Canadian dude. Right?" ([08:26])

• Traci Thomas on audience behavior: "This has nothing to do with Taylor Swift. This is Philadelphia fans being Philadelphia fans, period." ([05:10])

• David Dennis Jr. reflecting on fan aggression: "What if he does the worst thing that you could possibly do to another person at the super bowl?" ([11:13])

Performance Highlights and Artistic Choices

The discussion turns to specific elements of Kendrick's performance, including the use of symbolism, choreography, and lyrical content. Traci and David analyze how Kendrick intertwines personal and political messages, creating a layered narrative that challenges viewers to engage critically with the themes presented. They appreciate the complexity and foresight in Kendrick's artistic decisions, noting his ability to provoke thought and evoke emotion through his performance.

David remarks on the audacity of starting the show with an unreleased song and the potential risks and rewards of such a choice, emphasizing Kendrick's commitment to artistic integrity over mainstream appeal. ([13:32])

Audience Engagement and Emotional Impact

Both hosts express how the performance resonated on a personal level, eliciting a range of emotions from excitement to nervous anticipation. Traci shares her mixed feelings about the performance being both impressive and slightly less forceful than expected, indicating a nuanced appreciation of Kendrick's evolving artistry. ([12:04])

David echoes this sentiment, acknowledging the balance Kendrick strikes between maintaining his core message and adapting to the grandeur of the Super Bowl stage. They conclude that Kendrick's halftime show successfully elevated the narrative beyond typical performances, leaving a lasting impression on both the live audience and viewers at home.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In wrapping up the episode, Traci encourages listeners to support the podcast by joining the Stacks Pack on Patreon or subscribing to Unstacked on Substack for access to full episodes, exclusive content, and community perks. She reiterates the value of engaging with thoughtful discussions that bridge literature, culture, and societal issues.

Traci concludes with gratitude towards her audience and enthusiasm for future conversations, affirming the podcast's commitment to exploring impactful narratives and fostering meaningful dialogue within its community.

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Notable Timestamped Quotes:

• Traci Thomas [04:06]: "This is our bonus content for subscribers... talking about Kendrick Lamar's halftime show."

• David Dennis Jr. [08:26]: "This is the defining performance of my life... making this the thing that will last forever."

• Traci Thomas [05:10]: "This has nothing to do with Taylor Swift. This is Philadelphia fans being Philadelphia fans, period."

• David Dennis Jr. [11:13]: "What if he does the worst thing that you could possibly do to another person at the super bowl?"

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This episode of The Stacks offers a comprehensive and engaging analysis of Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance, blending cultural critique with personal reflections. Through the insightful dialogue between Traci Thomas and David Dennis Jr., listeners gain a deeper understanding of the performance's significance and its broader implications within American culture.

Transcript

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[Tracy Thomas]

Hi everybody, it's Tracy. Welcome back to another episode of the Stacks Unabridged. This is our bonus content for subscribers on Substack and the Stacks Pack on Patreon. Today we're doing something, something extra special. We're dropping it in your feeds a week early because I am joined By David Dennis, Jr. ESPN personality, author of the Movement made us to talk about Kendrick Lamar's halftime show. I couldn't get enough of it. David wrote about it. We had to talk about it. So here we are giving you our hottest takes, our highest joys, our lowest lows, our loudest a minors. If you're listening to this episode and it cuts off after about 15 minutes, that means you're not a member of the Stacks Pack or a subscriber over on Substack. You need to join those communities to get this content. When you join these communities, you get this bonus episode plus all of our bonus episodes. You also get exclusive perks like our virtual book club, my paid posts over on Substack, access to the Discord community, and a lot more. So head to patreon.com thestackstalk to join or go to Tracy thomas.substack.com okay, now it is time for our Great American Game Breakdown show with none other than David Dennis Jr. Okay everybody, it's a bonus episode of the Stacks. The Stacks on a Bridge. And it's a week early. And you're probably like, why is it a week early? Why am I getting this today? And the truth is, is because at the last possible moment I decided that I had to talk about the super bowl. And I woke up Monday morning, immediately went on social media, the first thing I see is David Dennis, Jr. Friend of the show, self promoting a piece he wrote in Andscape about the halftime show. And I said, you know what? I want to talk about the halftime show. So I text David and I said, david, do we have to do this? And he says, absolutely. And I said, but we can't release it when my episode normally goes up on February 20th or whatever, because people are going to be so over it. And I said, can you do something in the next 24 to 48 hours? And David said, can I? And so here we are. Welcome back, my culture, pop culture, black culture, sports culture guru, David Dennis, Jr. Hello.

[David Dennis Jr.]

And fancy Mexican restaurant, eating partner in crime.

[Tracy Thomas]

And. And the hottest date I've had all year. We went out to a fancy Mexican restaurant in L. A. And ate the most expensive duck carnitas we could find. And you know what, people? They were bomb.

[David Dennis Jr.]

I regret nothing. I regret.

[Tracy Thomas]

I regret nothing.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Nothing at all.

[Tracy Thomas]

Hi, David.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Hey, what's up? What is up? So we went to Super Bowl.

[Tracy Thomas]

You went.

[David Dennis Jr.]

I went to super bowl. Exclusively derided by Kendrick Lamar's halftime show. Left after halftime so I could write this article or wrote it. It was like, it's got to go up tonight. It's done. Sending my draft. And immediately fell asleep. And then the next morning, hit when it was up, spread it to the world. And, you know, you read it, a lot of people read it, and there's a lot to talk about. I'm so excited.

[Tracy Thomas]

I'm so excited. Okay, before we get to that, since you were at the super bowl, did you hear the booing of Taylor Swift?

[David Dennis Jr.]

I did hear the booing of Taylor Swift, and it was. I mean, it was a. It was fine. It was fine. It was a. It was a Philadelphia. First of all, the Philadelphia crowd.

[Tracy Thomas]

This is what I'm saying. Okay. Okay, I have to interrupt right now.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Okay.

[Tracy Thomas]

Everybody knows I hate Taylor Swift, so, like, obviously, take it with a grain of salt. And I also hate Philadelphia sports fans. I know there's a lot of Philadelphia people who are members of the stacks back. And I love you and I appreciate you, but if you are new to sports because of Taylor Swift, there's only one thing you need to know about sports fans, and that's Philadelphia fans are gonna fucking boo. They're gonna boo their quarterback, they're gonna boo their coach, they're gonna boo their mom, and they're definitely gonna boo the most famous person associated with the team. They're playing in the Super Bowl. This is nothing. This has nothing to do with Taylor Swift. This is Philadelphia fans being Philadelphia fans, period.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Yeah. Well, Philadelphia notoriously booed Santa Claus. That's the store that everybody talks about about the Philadelphia fans is that for one Christmas football game, Santa Claus came out there and everybody booed him and threw snowballs at him. And that's like the. The notorious Philadelphia has. Has this reputation of being that kind of fan base, and they lean into it because everybody knows by the time they booed Santa Claus. Right. And so the crowd in New Orleans all across the city was probably 70, 30. Philadelphia.

[Tracy Thomas]

Wow. One.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Yeah. One. Because Kansas City goes to bowl every year, people, their fans can't afford to go to super bowl every single year.

[Tracy Thomas]

Right, right.

[David Dennis Jr.]

And Philadelphia is really excited to go. And so the. The stadium, it was a. It was a Philadelphia Eagles home game. The entire. They booed, the booze were loud, and the Chiefs showed up. So, yes, the. The, like, human mascot for the Chiefs was shown on the screen and everybody food because they're Eagles fans.

[Tracy Thomas]

They're Eagles fans. I didn't. I was. This is the problem when people who don't like sports want to show up because of something unrelated to sports. Like, you don't. You don't get to show up and make this like, oh, poor Taylor Swift. It's like, no, babe, it's the Eagles. Last year, it was the 49ers. My team. We're respectful. We don't boo. We're sort of bougie at this point because they moved the team from San Francisco. It's a nightmare. But we don't boo because we're a legacy team. We've got class. Not those Philadelphia Eagles monsters. Yeah, it's all the Philadelphia teams. The baseball, the football, I mean, the basketball team. They remember. Trust the process.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tracy Thomas]

Did they ever not boo for one second that those entire, like, six years.

[David Dennis Jr.]

They just continue booing? It's not like they were just like, ah, lonely poets hearts or whatever that was. They weren't doing that. They were just like, screw you, the Eagles are going to win.

[Tracy Thomas]

Exactly. Okay. I'm so glad because I was getting so annoyed with all the takes about her. Okay. Now that we're done with her, congratulations, Taylor Swift. You've stolen my podcast from me. Did they. Did they boo Trump?

[David Dennis Jr.]

So I was not in the arena when. From the show Trump. So I was like, down in the media area when he was shown. So I don't know firsthand what the Trump situation was. He wasn't shown on camera while I was there. I got there right when the Game started. He wasn't showing on camera there. I heard it was kind of mixed. I heard there was like some booing and different feeds that were used and stuff like that.

[Tracy Thomas]

That's what I heard. There were different.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Not totally sure what the. What the vibes are with. With the Trump situation.

[Tracy Thomas]

Okay.

[David Dennis Jr.]

And there's a. There's a picture of the guy with the middle finger at Trump love that's going viral. It's years old. It wasn't from that game.

[Tracy Thomas]

Oh, really?

[David Dennis Jr.]

Fake news.

[Tracy Thomas]

Devastating. Oh, boo. His abuse that in my newsletter. Sorry, everybody. I don't fact check. I, like, you had to pump out my content after the super bowl, but I stayed to the end and stayed later to hang out with my friends and then went home and had to write. So I was not fact checking a single picture on the Internet. But we're not here for this. We're here for Kendrick Lamar Duckworth's performance at the halftime show. So I want to start high level.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Okay.

[Tracy Thomas]

Going into the show before we saw a single thing, what did you think we were going to get? What were you anticipating? You know, you have to write about it. You're telling a story to yourself. This is what I'm going to see. What did you think was coming?

[David Dennis Jr.]

So I knew that. So there was Drake stuff. Obviously. There was like a lot of. So the tension here, which is the tightrope he had to walk, was like, everybody wants to Drake stuff, but this is like the defining performance of my life. So I'm not going to go up there and spend 15 minutes being like, screw you to like, one single Canadian dude. Right? Like, I got to like, make this. You know, this is the thing that will last forever. Right?

[Tracy Thomas]

So he did that with the pop out. He already did. He already did this, right?

[David Dennis Jr.]

He. He already did that. And, you know, It'd be like 20 years from now, like, Kendrick Lamar, like, held up a poster of, like, Drake with a stupid shirt and everybody has to, like, explain what exactly it was. So you had to, like, kind of do that. And then there. Then there was the added element of, like, oh, Donald Trump's going to be there. So, like, what is Kendrick going to do here? So there was like all of that anticipation of, like, what is this going to look like? What is he going to say to Drake? Is he going to. How many of these death records are you going to perform? There was that. And then there was like, is he going to sneak in some Trump stuff at some point? So there was like, all of this in there and then what Are the surprises? Like, what's going to be the big surprise?

[Tracy Thomas]

Right.

[David Dennis Jr.]

There are rumblings all over the week that there are surprise appearances that you're going to be shocked by the first thing he does. He's got an all time great performance, things like that. So the bar was, like, really kind of crazy for Kendrick. And so I went into it. I was. I went into it like, I had goosebumps. I was like. My stomach was like. I was, like, so nervous for, like, what was gonna happen. And I could. I just like, it was like the game was like, whatever. But, like, once it started getting close to halftime, I got super duper nervous for it.

[Tracy Thomas]

Okay. So I was also so nervous. I. There was. I was at a party at a friend's house. There were a lot of people, but I was sitting with this couple and then this other dude, and we were all talking, and I kept being like, what are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? I was like. And like. And, you know. So this whole Kendrick thing, what has been so fascinating is that everything he's done has felt so obvious, but when you try to predict it, it's like you can't even come close to the vision that he has.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tracy Thomas]

So I'm sitting at this party predicting, just. I'm tapping into the worst part of me. Like, I was like, what if he starts with Poetic justice, which is the song with Drake? I'm like, what if he starts with whacked out murals, gets to the line where he's like, blah, blah, blah, I tried to make Lil Wayne proud, and then Lil Wayne pops out. Because that's a real dagger to Drake as well. Plus, that's like a. So I'm like, thinking of, like, all these things, and then I'm like, what if he starts with not like us, get all the way to the part where they do a minor, then cuts, does the entire show, and then goes back to not like us and ends with it? I'm like, that's diabolical because Kendrick has, like, freed me to believe that some of my darkest, most petty fantasies are possible.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Right?

[Tracy Thomas]

Like, that's. This has become, like, it's all possible if you hate someone enough.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Yeah. This became like our own, like, murder fantasy that we should, like, book ourselves. We were just like, what is the worst thing? Like, like, it was like, picture the worst person that you know or the person that you hate the most, and if you had 15 minutes to, like, ruin their life, what would you do? And the fact that so many of us just salivating at the thought and just, like, coming up with the worst possible thing. What if he's on date and he brings out the daughter? The illegitimate daughter?

[Tracy Thomas]

I thought he was going to bring out Adonis.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Like, what if he brings out his children? What if he's like his mom? Like, what if he does the worst thing that you could possibly do to another person at the super bowl? And it's like, actually, realistically, having 70,000 people yell a minor is probably enough.

[Tracy Thomas]

Yeah. I definitely was like. Like, I was almost like. I mean, I was so impressed with it, but I was also like, could have been meaner, honestly. Like, I don't know, Kendrick, you're kind of falling off. Getting a little soft. Okay, so let's do the actual show. It's the. The. The theme of the show is the Great American Game. It's a metaphor for the games we play as black people in America. It's a metaphor for a video game. We get a video game controller. It's obviously the Great American game is football. The show opens, we get. Samuel Jackson is the first thing we see. He says, hi, I'm your Uncle Sam. I said, oh. I said, oh. Oh.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Salutations. It's your. This is the Great American Gang.

[Tracy Thomas]

We cut to Kendrick alone on a gnx, which is the name of the newest album, and he does an unreleased song.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Yeah.

[Samuel L. Jackson]

No more handshakes and hugs the energy only circulate through us Everybody must be judged but this time God only favoring us 20 years in still got their pen dedicated to a bare hard truth and he can speak with a vision and tongue predicate this time, Ms. I'm carrying.

[Tracy Thomas]

That's batshit for the Super Bowl.

[David Dennis Jr.]

It's nuts to do to open up with a minute of a song that literally no people have heard.

[Tracy Thomas]

Not a single. I mean, we've. We've. I think we've heard a little bit.

[David Dennis Jr.]

It was a snippet that was part of the GNX commercial.

[Tracy Thomas]

Yes.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Which also. The song is not on gns. What are you doing? It is a song that you put on YouTube for 30 seconds that one tenth of your actual audience has probably heard, and you sit there and you do it. We don't really know the lyrics. We don't totally know what you're saying. And you're just rapping.

[Tracy Thomas]

You're just squatted in a little ball.

[David Dennis Jr.]

You're just squatted and you're rapid. And all of these black people come out the car like a clown car as you're doing this. And it's like, what are we Doing, like, we don't. We only other person who's really done music at their show that not everybody's totally as Prince. Like, prince came out and did, like. He didn't just do the hits. He just, like, played his stuff. And Kendrick Lamar opens up doing this, and I'm like, oh, this dude is like. He's going for something. He's, like, trying to do something. Yeah.

[Samuel L. Jackson]

Carrying various darts right now. I deserve this. Like, tiramisu. We go body for body. I need you a body. I'm probably a better masseuse. Really don't bother nobody, but they run it by me. If I got the cre out the room, you would not get the picture. If I had to sit you for hours in front of the loop.

[Tracy Thomas]

Yeah. The whole vibe in the room when it started was just like, what. What's he. What's he up to? Like, what's happening? I. I feel excited, but I still feel extremely nervous. It's not like normal super bowls where it's like, you feel excited and nervous, and then it starts and you're like, okay, this is a super bowl performance. Like, great. This was like, oh, yeah, what's happening here? All of these people come out of this car. It's fantastic. It's fantastic. They're dressed in red, white, and blue. It's just 7,000 people come out of one tiny car out of nowhere. They're doing flips. They're dancing. It's amazing. Then he goes into squabble up.

[Samuel L. Jackson]

Me incarnated I was stargazing Life goes on, honey My babies woke up looking for the broccoli hotkey Keep a horn on me that could my c. I. P ownership the blueprint is by me Mr. Get off I get off in my feet.

[Tracy Thomas]

We'Re happy it's dancing. Samuel Jackson comes back and he's like.

[David Dennis Jr.]

No, no, no, no, no. Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up.

[Tracy Thomas]

Kendrick immediately goes into humble. Probably the most famous song aside from not like us that he. That definitely. That he did, but that he has maybe all right Is slightly more famous. It's those two.

[David Dennis Jr.]

Yeah. Humble is, like, in terms of charts, like, way more famous than. Than any other song. All right Is like, a culturally significant song, but humble is like the. Before this, it would be like. That would be this. That would be his show closer. If he did this, like, last year, it would be humble.

[Tracy Thomas]

Right? Right. All right. That is the end of this bonus teaser. If you were liking what you were hearing, you can listen to the entire episode by going to either patreon.com the stacks and joining the Stacks Pack, getting access to the Discord, being able to participate in our virtual book club and or you can go to TracyThomas substack.com and subscribe to Unstacked, where you're going to get my writing about books, pop culture, you're going to get other exclusive author interviews, and of course, these bonus episodes. So go to one of those two places, join us, get to hear the rest of this episode, and support the work that I do by being a part of these wonderful communities. Thank you so much, and I'll see you in the stacks.