Lamar, himself, is no stranger to the halftime show. Three years ago at the Super Bowl LVI, he performed alongside two of the greatest rappers to come from the West Coast: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. But what feels so monumental about this moment, in particular, is that Lamar has been able to puncture the mainstream in his own way—on his own terms.

Over the past year, the hip-hop giants have thrown personal jabs at each other through several diss tracks, including “Not Like Us” and “Family Matters.”