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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Greg Evans

Hulk Hogan says he ‘couldn’t understand a word’ of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl show

Hulk Hogan has shared his thoughts on Kendrick Lamar’s record-breaking Super Bowl halftime show, claiming that he couldn’t understand a word of the rapper’s performance.

Lamar’s performance, which featured cameos from SZA, Samuel L Jackson and Serena Williams, has been lauded as one of the best in the history of the Super Bowl, simultaneously becoming the most significant mass-televised rap performance of all time.

The gig, though, hasn’t been warmly received by US conservatives, with the likes of Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert leading Trumpworld’s scathing criticism of Lamar.

Hogan, another prominent supporter of Donald Trump, has now added his voice to the discontent surrounding the Super Bowl. Appearing on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime show, the former wrestler complained that he “couldn’t understand a word that was being said”.

The 71-year-old, real name Terry Bollea, added: “I had my volume turned up. I had a bunch of people yelling and screaming at the house, and I really didn’t know what was going on, man.”

Hogan then said that he would like to see country music star Willie Nelson play next year’s Super Bowl.

Hogan’s criticism of Lamar comes just weeks after he was loudly booed on WWE’s Netflix debut in January, with many fans attributing the negative reception to his previous racist comments.

@rl.livetv

Hulk Hogan ON THE SUPER BOWL LIX HALFTIME SHOW #superbowllix #kendricklamar #therlnation

♬ original sound - RLRICH

It’s not just Americans who have been critical of Lamar. In the UK, Oasis star Noel Gallagher called the show “absolute nonsense”.

“I had to switch it off… it was absolute nonsense,“ Gallagher, 57, told Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent on Talk Sport.

“I didn’t watch it all,” he admitted. “I just switched it off. There [were] like 300 people getting out of a car in the first two minutes.”

Asked about his favourite halftime performances, Gallagher said he rarely bothers tuning in. “I never watch the halftime thing, I’m not interested,” he said. “It’s usually artists I don’t like.”

Kendrick Lamar performs at Super Bowl 2025 (AP)

Elsewhere, Lamar’s performance was significant for reigniting the feud between him and Drake after the diss track, “Not Like Us,” was played.

While Drake has yet to directly address Lamar’s halftime show, as well as his five Grammy wins stemming from “Not Like Us” the week prior, the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker seemingly made an indirect reference to it during his concert in Melbourne on Monday (10 February).

In the original recording of the song, the second verse ends with: “Beef is live, spoiler alert, this n***a dies.” However, during his show, Drake changed the lyrics to: “Beef is live, spoiler alert, I never died.”

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