Who is Uncle Sam? All you need to know about Samuel L Jackson’s cameo in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl show

On Sunday, February 10, 2025, Kendrick Lamar surprised his Super Bowl audience by presenting Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam. Lamar's performance included Jackson as a surprise guest.

Jackson, who played Uncle Sam, appeared in a red, white, and blue outfit reminiscent of the US Army recruiting advertisements. He also wore a blue coat and a patriotic tophat.

Uncle Sam is a popular national personification of the United States, either representing the federal government or the nation as a whole. He shares the same initials as the United States.

The character first got popular during the War of 1812, when slavery was still legal in the US. It then remained a representation of patriotism. Samuel L. Jackson, an African-American actor, dressed up as the character in protest of slavery and the period when the system was still in place in America.

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Samuel L Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam and appeared in Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl show

Samuel L Jackson made a cameo during the show (Image via Getty)

Uncle Sam has been a popular representation of the American government and a show of patriotism in American culture since the early 19th century. The character has also gained recognition for his appearance in military propaganda, which was made popular by the American artist James Montgomery Flagg's 1917 World War I recruiting poster.

The original British Lord Kitchener poster from three years 1914 served as the model for JM Flagg's poster. It was used as a recruiting tool for the US Army throughout World Wars I and II. To portray the character, Flagg used a modified version of his own face, and the stance was supplied by veteran Walter Botts.

The allegorical novel The Adventures of Uncle Sam, in Search After His Lost Honor, published in 1816, was the first formal literary mention of the persona. The character may have been named after Samuel Wilson, a butcher in New York during the American Revolution; however, the true origin is unknown.

Samuel Wilson provided beef to the US Army during the War of 1812. He earned the nickname and is credited with serving as the model for the national emblem. His barrels were marked as "U.S." to signify that the food was only for American soldiers.

The soldiers were informed that "Uncle Sam" was the source of the meat when they asked about it. Wilson, who went by the name locally, came to be identified with the initials "U.S." and later used the same initials for the persona.

After gaining popularity, the same character was later utilized in political rallies, soccer matches, and political cartoons. Additionally, it was frequently pictured sporting a blue jacket, red and white striped pants, a red bow tie, and a top hat with a star on it.

It has also appeared on posters that are intended to attract new members of the US military. His attire resembles that of the American flag. The feminine figure of Columbia, or Lady Colombia, is a personification of the United States, whereas Uncle Sam especially represents the government.

Now, on Sunday, to represent the same character, Samuel L. Jackson appeared in the role of Uncle Sam, taking center stage before presenting Kendrick Lamar. He did it in order to act out the character and the plot.

Jackson, dressed in full red, white, and blue attire in keeping with the theme of "The Great American Game," introduced the performance and later took part in it. Jackson and his persona reappeared after Lamar's performance of Squabble Up, denouncing Lamar's act as "too loud, too unruly, too ghetto." That didn't stop the show, though, as Lamar went on to perform Humble.

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Lamar also grabbed eyeballs during the same show after performing his Drake diss track Not Like Us and again tagging Drizzy as a p*dophile. He even wore an "A- Minor" chain, which is a phrase from the song.