TPS #050: Lessons You May Have Missed
Author: Andre Mullen - 4 min Read
February 22, 2025
Good morning. Today, I’m going to talk about lessons you may have missed from Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance. I’m also talking about Tunecore, Ludacris teaching A.I., and what people are really saying about Kendrick’s creativity.
Photo Credit: Kansas City Star/TNS
Subjective creativity.
Super Bowl Sunday 2025 will go down as another moment in time for the great debate on artistic expression.
I’m not a sports fan, though I love the excitement of playoff games like everyone else.
And like everyone else, I watched the Super Bowl with a particular interest in the Apple Music Halftime Show artist, Kendrick Lamar.
Now personally, I’m not the biggest Kendrick Lamar fan.
However, I am a fan of any artist who pushes the boundaries of creativity to declare a message.
Many people – maybe even you reading this newsletter – have mixed emotions about his performance and the implicit and explicit messaging. After all, creativity is subjective.
However, if you’re an artist or artist manager, watching Kendrick Lamar’s 13 minute presentation was a masterclass in what moves a good artist to an innovative creative.
Let’s take a look.
Artistic expression will always be open for debate.
Artistic expression is personal, yet presented on a public stage opened to both applause and criticism.
We saw this in the post-conversations of Kendrick’s presentation at the Super Bowl. Across social media, critics expressed being “bored” and this was “the worse Halftime Show ever”.
However, no one could really deny the artistic and cultural impact Kendrick served within those 13 minutes Sunday night. Platforms stated Kendrick’s show “tried to dismantle stereotypes about rap (that it’s not a serious genre) and himself (that he wasn’t worthy of a halftime set).” and how “his performance will undoubtedly go down as one of the most important halftime shows in the history of the event.”
Here are 4 lessons Kendrick’s performance encourages you to embrace in this current music climate:
1. Authenticity
2. Boldness
3. Confidence
4. Determination
While they may seem simple and you have heard them before, Kendrick’s performance embodied the above 4 lessons that make him an innovative creative in his own right.
And you can be the same too.
Let’s look at each of these lessons, one by one:
Lesson #1: “Embrace your Authenticity”
We always hear about the importance of being authentic in music.
Authenticity is the ability and quality of any artist in being genuine, sincere, and original in the expression of their music.
Being authentic requires you to be true to yourself.
In the post-conversations about Kendrick’s performance, many people wanted more “flash” – more hit songs, live instrumentation. Instead, Kendrick stayed true to himself and to the message he wanted to convey.
There are many external pressures in music ranging from what’s trending to new insights and platforms. However, staying the course of being true to yourself must be more important to you than anything else.
What pressures are trying to stop you from being authentic?
Lesson #2: “Be Bold”
Boldness is in the DNA of artistic expression.
Boldness involves taking risks and speaking up despite conforming to the norm.
Boldness comes with no apologies and with real action.
Kendrick’s performance was more than entertainment. He delivered a performance rich in symbolism and resistance – all while pushing the envelope of creativity and refusing to dilute his message.
Your boldness in your music requires you to let go of what’s trending and what’s familiar to develop your own message and style. It requires you to be uncomfortable and take risks.
What creative risks are you willing to take in your music?
Lesson #3: “Have Confidence”
Confidence is both an important lesson and quality of any creative.
Confidence is having no doubt about your abilities, your truth, and how they both will lead to your successfulness.
Kendrick’s performance demonstrated his confidence not only in his message, but also that he could deliver it creatively without compromise. He was confident his creative approach would deliver the message regardless of how people felt about him.
In the end, his approach lead to this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show being the most watched ever.
Your confidence in and with your music – or the lack thereof – is both felt and seen by your audience. The audience you want to reach wants to believe every lyric, every melody, every song you release.
Are you confident in the music you’re presenting?
Lesson #4: “Focus your Determination”
Determination is the final lesson and just as important as the previous lessons.
Determination is the single-minded pursuit of a goal, despite challenges.
Kendrick’s determination used the Super Bowl platform to showcase that hip-hop is like a football game – highly competitive.
His goal was to show his performance as part of the bigger picture. He faced challenges (i.e. defamation lawsuit from Drake) that sought to stop him. Yet he stayed the course.
What will separate you as an artist, is your own determination in writing that song, producing the music, creating that content, and releasing your music. Staying focus on those goals and perservering even when it looks different, is what sets you apart.
What are determine to achieve with your music?
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance should encourage you as an artist to push the boundaries of your creativity while maintaining your identity.
It is not difficult to do. What makes it challenging is the expectations of others and the internal conflict you may have at times to appeal to those expectations for the sake of exposure and fame.
One thing is for certain: Being true to who you are requires others – your fans and your critics – to accept who you are.
Hope this helps.
Related: Kendrick has been able to achieve his success with a social conscience, Ankitha Donepudi writes in The Michigan Daily. She shares how Kendrick helped her feel seen, understood, and safe.
THE LATEST
A screenshot of Tunecore’s new advanced trends and analytics dashboard for self-releasing artists.
• Speaking of Lessons: Music Ally reports Ludacris wants to help emerging musicians and producers use AI technologies. He’ll be partnering with Microsoft and Suno through his Ludacris Foundation.
• “Accessing More Information”: Music Business Worldwide reports Tunecore has launched a new “advanced trends and analytics dashboard” designed to help self-releasing artists “accelerate their growth”.
• “The Final Grade”: Digital Music News cites music platform Duetti’s “Music Economic Report” to point out that TikTok virality rarely translates into sustainable streaming growth.
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING
• “Kendrick’s music is not political, enslaved, or racist. It is self-awareness. Music inspires you to teach others to become whole within themselves.” – @_Mallow32_
• “Kendrick Lamar is a course requirement for rap. And for superstars. Don’t even try to argue.” – @JunaeBrown
• “For a rapper who talks street knowledge and the edification of the culture, Kendrick Lamar’s run is unprecedented. He’s a black man’s dream.” – @Jozhthafuture
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