Following his Grammy victories, Kendrick Lamar is set to deliver a "special" performance at the Super Bowl halftime show.

 Lamar will take the stage with singer SZA on Sunday, just after winning five Grammy awards.

Kendrick Lamar in New York City in 2023.

Feb. 4, 2025, 5:44 AM GMT+6

After the most successful year of his career — which included winning five Grammy Awards for his iconic Drake diss track "Not Like Us" — rapper Kendrick Lamar is set to take the biggest stage in America when he performs at the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Lamar's highly anticipated performance, which will also feature singer SZA, comes after he dominated both the cultural and music charts throughout 2024. And those responsible for getting him on that stage are embracing the excitement.

"Everyone will agree this is a halftime show like no other in Super Bowl history," said Jesse Collins, executive producer of the show, in an interview with NBC News. "The creative concept is truly brilliant, spectacular, and special. In all our years of doing this — and every show we’ve produced has been amazing — I’ve never seen an artist approach it this way."

Roc Nation, the entertainment company and NFL partner that produces the halftime show, first tapped Lamar to headline last summer. At the time, he was already a celebrated rapper, but his fame reached new heights following the May 4 release of “Not Like Us,” his fiery response to his feud with Canadian rapper Drake.

The song shattered streaming records and earned Lamar five Grammy Awards, making it the most decorated rap song in the award show's history.

Shortly after the track's release, Lamar received a call from Roc Nation founder Jay-Z, who asked if he’d be willing to perform at the Super Bowl.

“It’s almost like the stars aligned,” said Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez. “We hope that every year someone achieves what Kendrick has this year. You can’t plan for something to come together so perfectly.”

Lamar’s Super Bowl performance will be the first since the NFL and Roc Nation extended their partnership in October, which covers both live music and social justice efforts. Roc Nation’s halftime shows have garnered praise, with the 2022 show — featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige — making history as the first to win an Emmy.

Perez mentioned that the NFL has been fully trusting in their partnership, never questioning the artist choices. “What we bring to the table is more than just booking the show,” she explained. “We understand the cultural climate at the time of the show and execute with precision. That’s something we’ve mastered.”

Planning for the Super Bowl halftime show begins right after the previous one, meaning that Roc Nation has been working on Sunday’s performance since February. As the game approaches, preparations intensify.

Lamar will have at least three days to rehearse on the field before the show, running through the entire set multiple times. The logistics of the halftime show are unique, as Lamar has exactly eight minutes to get on the field and six minutes to leave — all while preserving the game’s surface. Getting the stage in and out takes over 100 people, according to Collins.

While details about the performance remain under wraps, Perez said whether other artists will join Lamar on stage is entirely up to him. However, she hinted there will be “a few surprises we’ve never seen before.”

"Kendrick is one of the most creative and incredible artists of our lifetime, and he’s not going to disappoint," she said, when asked what fans should expect.

Collins added: "Roc Nation, Jay, Kendrick, and his team — we've all put in an incredible amount of work to make this something different. People are going to be blown away."