"Game of life. Amazing metaphor"— Netizens react to PlayStation controller symbology in Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show

Besides his performance, Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday, February 9, 2025, made headlines because of a "massive metaphor" shown throughout the event.

The stage design was reportedly inspired by a PlayStation game controller. It featured four buttons—an X, O, a Square, and a Triangle—reminiscent of a PS controller. At the end of the 13-minute set, a message reading "GAME OVER" lit up.

Art director Shelly Rodgers, who worked with Kendrick Lamar for the show, spoke to Wired about the idea behind the stage design. Rodgers explained that their goal was to portray the rapper's life like a video game and said,

"I think the [video game theme] was symbolic, his way to reach young people... A lot of it is showing his journey, traveling through the American dream."

Many netizens shared their reactions about the Not Like Us rapper using symbolism during his Super Bowl Halftime Show.

"Game of life. Amazing metaphor," an X user commented.

More people shared their versions of how Lamar's PlayStation controller stage design relates to him and his life, with some commenting that the idea behind it was "absolute cinema" and "genius."

"PlayStation buttons as the 4 main stages. Uncle Sam narrating the game. Kendrick beating the game and turning it off as soon as he mastered it. Absolute cinema," an X user commented.

"Seeing as he grew up with games like Final Fight and Streets of Rage, the linear stage on the ground, the street lights, "Game Over" lights, and the choreography makes a whole lot more sense," an X user said.

"Dude, Kendrick is a genius. The entire show was actually a massive metaphor of how the United States is a video game trying to control us. That's why the stage was PlayStation controller. I can write a whole research paper on what this was the biggest political statement," another user on X wrote.

Some netizens related the PS controller metaphor to Drake, who has been beefing with Kendrick Lamar for the better part of 2024.

"For those not getting The reference, Drake wanted to "play games" which is why there is a video game control. At the end, there was lights saying GAME OVER," an X user theorized.

"And PartyNextDoor's music is under Sony, and Sony has a long term deal with Drake's producer, Boi-1da. This was a strategic move just to mock Drake. Just like how Kendrick mocked him with all the GNX Vinyls being made in Canada, lol," another X user said.

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Other Easter Eggs in Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar put on a show for both hip-hop and football fans during his set on Sunday night, February 9, 2025. While some fans were fixated on his performance, others were following the smallest details and alleged Easter Eggs throughout his performance.

Shortly before his set started, red lights illuminated the Caesars Superdome. It made the arena look like a red button, seemingly referencing Drake's song Red Button. Kendrick Lamar's dancers, dressed in red, blue, and white, also formed what looked like the American flag as he performed Humble.

The rapper also wore a lowercase "a" pendant during his headlining set, which some fans theorized could be a reference to the "a minor" line in his hit diss track Not Like Us. Some also pointed out that the pendant matches the font of Lamar's pgLang logo.

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Kendrick Lamar previously performed at the Super Bowl halftime show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige in 2022.