"He didn't even do what Usher did"—Mal slams Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance, says only Patrick Mahomes was worse

Fenty Felons host Jamil "Mal" Clay recently slammed Kendrick Lamar's headlining performance at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX on February 9. The halftime extravaganza at the Caesar Superdome also featured SZA as a guest star, with Serena Williams doing her iconic crip-walk to Lamar's beats.

On episode 344 of Fenty Felons released on February 11, Mal discussed the Super Bowl halftime show and slammed K Dot's setlist, claiming that there were not enough hit songs.

"This setlist, these are not hit records. When you're talking about the biggest stage in entertainment, you need hit records, undeniable hit records, not the songs that we like," he said.

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The 43-year-old went on to joke that the only performance worse than Kendrick Lamar's was that of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

"The numbers dropped. He didn't even do what Usher did," he continued, referring to Usher's Super Bowl LVIII halftime performance. "Usher has a catalog of hits f*cking records over the last 25 years."

Mal also claimed that the viewership numbers of this year's halftime show have fallen compared to last year. However, multiple reports have confirmed three days after the show that Kendrick Lamar's live halftime performance was the most-watched halftime show in the NFL's history, racking up 133.5 million viewers. It beat Michael Jackson's previous record of 133.4 million at the 1993 halftime show.

As for Lamar's setlist, the Compton rapper mostly went with GNX and Damn songs. His setlist included hits like Humble, Squabble Up, DNA, Euphoria, Man at the Garden, Peekaboo, Luther, All the Stars, and Not Like Us. Kendrick Lamar ended his halftime show with TV Off.

Before performing Not Like Us, Lamar also seemingly alluded to Drake taking legal action over his Grammy-winning diss track.

When Mal claimed that Kendrick Lamar needs SZA to carry the Super Bowl LIX halftime show

Kendrick Lamar and SZ at Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show - Source: Getty

On January 23, Kendrick Lamar posted a clip on social media announcing the inclusion of his longtime collaborator SZA as a guest performer for the Super Bowl halftime show. The clip featured the Not Like Us hitmaker talking about including a guest performer followed by SZA appearing from the back and pouring blue liquid all over him.

In episode 339 of Fenty Felons (posted on streaming platforms on January 24), Mal and Rory reacted to SZA's inclusion. Mal seemingly opined that Kendrick Lamar would need SZA's assistance to carry the Super Bowl halftime show.

"Is this not a cheat code though?" he commented, referring to SZA's inclusion in the halftime show.

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Kendrick Lamar and SZA have collaborated several times in the past. Their combined catalog includes hits like All the Stars—the anthem for Black Panther, which was nominated for Best Original Song at the 91st Academy Awards. They have also worked on songs like Daves in the Wind from SZA's 2017 album Ctrl and Babylon (2014).

In Kendrick Lamar's latest album, GNX, SZA collaborated with him on songs Luther and Gloria. She also included a song with the 37-year-old on the deluxe version of her album SOS, which was released on December 20, 2024. The track is called 30 for 30.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA are scheduled to feature together at the Grand National Tour to promote Kendrick's sixth studio album, GNX. The tour will start in April 2025 and include multiple stops in the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, and other countries.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA at Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show - Source: Getty

Here is the complete list of dates and venues for the abovementioned tour:

April 19, 2025 - Minneapolis, Minnesota @ U.S. Bank Stadium
April 23, 2025 - Houston, Texas @ NRG Stadium
April 26, 2025 - Arlington, Texas @ AT&T Stadium
April 29, 2025 - Atlanta, Georgia @ Mercedes Benz Stadium
May 03, 2025 - Charlotte, North Carolina @ Bank of America Stadium
May 05, 2025 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ Lincoln Financial Field
May 08, 2025 - East Rutherford, New Jersey @ MetLife Stadium
May 09, 2025 - East Rutherford, New Jersey @ MetLife Stadium
May 12, 2025 - Foxborough, Massachusetts @ Gillette Stadium
May 17, 2025 - Seattle, Washington State @ Lumen Field
May 21, 2025 - Inglewood, California @ SoFi Stadium
May 23, 2025 - Inglewood, California @ SoFi Stadium
May 24, 2025 - Inglewood, California @ SoFi Stadium
May 27, 2025 - Glendale, Arizona @ State Farm Stadium
May 29, 2025 - San Francisco, California @ Oracle Park
May 31, 2025 - Las Vegas, Nevada @ Allegiant Stadium
June 04, 2025 - St. Louis, Missouri @ The Dome at America's Center
June 06, 2025 - Chicago, Illinois @ Soldier Field
June 10, 2025 - Detroit, Michigan @ Ford Field
June 12, 2025 - Toronto, Ontario @ Rogers Centre
June 13, 2025 - Toronto, Ontario @ Rogers Centre
June 16, 2025 - Hershey, Pennsylvania @ Hersheypark Stadium
June 18, 2025 - Washington, D.C. @ Northwest Stadium
July 02, 2025 - Cologne, Germany @ RheinEnergieStadion
July 04, 2025 - Frankfurt, Germany @ Deutsche Bank Park
July 08, 2025 - Glasgow, Scotland @ Hampden Park
July 10, 2025 - Birmingham, England @ Villa Park
July 13, 2025 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Johan Cruijff ArenA
July 15, 2025 - Nanterre, France @ Paris La Défense Arena
July 19, 2025 - Cardiff, Wales @ Principality Stadium
July 22, 2025 - London, England @ Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
July 27, 2025 - Lisbon, Portugal @ Estadio do Restelo
July 30, 2025 - Barcelona, Spain @ Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
August 02, 2025 - Rome, Italy @ Stadio Olimpico
August 06, 2025 - Warsaw, Poland @ PGE Narodowy
August 09, 2025 - Stockholm, Sweden @ 3Arena

Fans interested in purchasing the tickets can visit the tour's official website on Friday (February 14) to buy the tickets. Although the general sale will go live at 9 am local time, various presales are scheduled to start on February 13.

Edited by Sreerupa Das