Super Bowl Halftime Should Have a Pop-Up Video or Manning Cast Option

I’m old. Not really, but when it comes to modern hip-hop, I’m as old as my uncles were in 1985 when they would “beat box” at family gatherings and say, “that’s all rap is,” …and they’d make puh, puh, huff, huff sounds.

Kendrick Lamar is performing at halftime and I’m so out of the loop. I’m writing this on a Friday. I’m going to binge Kendrick Lamar all weekend in an attempt to appreciate his artistry and maybe I’ll recognize something on Sunday. I’ll watch a YouTube video or two that comes up when I search “why is Kendrick Lamar great” and “history of Kendrick Lamar.”  Then I’ll ask AI to “give me a brief history of Kendrick Lamar and  his career, summarize the story behind his top-5 streaming songs, and do it in less than 500 words.”

But what I really need is an alternative half-time viewing experience and, ideally, it would be a pop-up video. When he riffs a lyric and his fans go crazy, I’d like a quick pop-up that says, “this is in reference to his longtime girlfriend, (name-the-girlfriend) and her affair with (name-the-other-guy).” Or “this song is off his second album, released in YEAR, and it’s an anthem to famed SOMEONE who Kendrick credits for giving him his big break.”

Rap has a rich, complicated tapestry of beefs, social commentary, rivalries, and current events that, as a 51-year-old middle-aged, middle-class, kinda-nerdy guy …I know I’ll miss them completely while listening on my own.

Or, the NFL would be smart to have the Manning Cast going during halftime and they could break-down and analyze his songs.  Not that the Mannings know any more than I do, but if they were coached up and brought in some great, young, hip writers …then I think the Mannings could really help the majority of people aged 30 and over who won’t know what they’re watching or understand what they’re hearing.

Maybe I should do my deep-dive and post a quick video on my YouTube Channel on Sunday morning with everything I learn in the next 72 hours.

And I’ll do it in a rap.