Freedom just hit the runway.

Fun fact about me that most people don't know but I majored in college for Fashion and Journalism - so writing about the hidden history about Black fashion style actually doesn't come as a surprise.

Watching Kendrick’s message to Black America using the NFL’s platform sparked much curiosity about the layered depths of his performance. Normally, I would search for others to talk what I noticed, but today I woke up inspired to do some research to share in writing.

To timestamp and document it.

Bell bottom jeans, 1970s style wider-flare leg. Why? What’s the connection?

The entire 13 minutes and 13 seconds screen recorded on my phone, I was puzzled by his fashion choice for the show. Casual okay, I understand but the jeans were the main focus for me.

And I made it my focus for the rest of the night into this morning. Last night I found the answer and this morning it was confirmed within my spirit this was the message he was sending with the bell bottom jeans. Universe do your thing and get this to in front of Kendrick Lamar so I can get that interview to confirm. Sprinkling in a little manifestation power for the culture.

Maybe because I wore my denim bell-bottom jeans yesterday too it caught my attention; perhaps Kendrick and I are on the same frequency so I just get it. Either way, this thing has my mind racing!

Bell bottoms have seen many reincarnations over the years, and the symbolism of Kendrick Lamar wearing them for his NFL Super Bowl halftime performance sent a clear message to white America. There is history associated with a Black man wearing denim bell-bottom jeans, it was a key symbolism of the counterculture movement, rebellion against societal norms through fashion. Black men in denim started in the 1960s, specifically on April 12, 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King wore a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans to march in Birmingham where he would later be arrested and write one of his most famous written letters.

But I believe Kendrick was representing the Black Power movement which further popularized bell bottoms as a way to visually assert Black identity and pride. Remember seeing bell bottom jeans styled with a dashiki and a fro?

Samuel L. Jackson playing a Black Uncle Sam but symbolizing the classic Uncle Tom to narrator the American Game screamed Black American culture. The game is our true experience with a mini collection of songs to go revisit. Opening the show on the square button of the Playstation controller with Uncle Sam opening the game symbolized how we as Black people look in our authentic existence to white America. No matter if we walk the straight line and live the square ass life projected as societal norms. Standing on top of the GNX in those bell bottom jeans was exactly what it looked like, a Black nigga in America starting a revolution.

Specific lines like “I see you brought your homeboys this time, the ol’ cultural cheat code, scorekeeper, deduct one point”, translate the normal conversations within the culture about being in America. The American Dream we all have been sold and told to chase, many of us have decided the define our own way.

The red transparent X controller button occupied mostly only Black men in all white performing Peekaboo; also resembling the chalk bodies at murder scene closer to the end of the show during the They Not Like Us performance. However in the same controller button using the women to transition into slowing it down to bring out SZA to perform Luther.

Going into the scene with SZA being deemed more “appropriate” and what America likes was almost in plain site sex sells in America. Put a Black woman as the face and objectify her body to see the biggest return for your investment. Those are the rules of the game in America, using the blue triangle controller button as the cheat code.

Marching in alignment together into the white circle controller button then giving SZA the spotlight stage to sing All the Stars felt like a blanket of protection as a Black woman for a second. Allowing a Black woman to shine and it not be objectified in the moment was a good feeling. Even Samuel L. Jackson saying that’s what America wants to see feels more of a shot at DTJ more than anything. They Not Like Us is now more than just a diss track to Drake, as Kendrick said “40 acres and a mule this is bigger than the music. They tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence.”

The scene where the beat drops and the dancers drop, the guys in white at the scene is the reference I made earlier of them resembling the outline white chalk at murder scenes. Looking at the camera and smiling when saying “Say Drake, I hear you like them young” wasn’t only for Drake, remember Mr. DTJ likes them young too. The murder scene is the reminder of the Black murders during Mr. DTJ’s last term. I read the statement he put out about the riots while gathering facts for this piece and it feels like as a community we are being divinely protected. We protested for our basic right to live and they put us on curfew, labeled us angry mobs, and made us out to be criminals. Now some of the riots were outrageous, but I don’t believe those were OUR protests, if you picking up what I am putting down. The protection is that we are not prioritizing protests, our focus is on building community which is the healing we need as a collective right now.

Hearing a football arena yelling “minor” in a song that is so culture specific is the proof that community, unity, and love will be what truly sets us free. The guys being on the street lights was Black af, Serena Williams crip walking was Black af, and again very culturally specific. Ending with tv off and bringing out DJ Mustard but them being in the streets with it was symbolic for me. A hidden message that the cheat codes will not work this time, we have to be in the streets with it, not protesting but building community. Shopping with the Black and Brown local corner stores and farmers markets. Connecting with the people in your neighborhoods to make sure everybody is good and will be during these unprecedented times.

Did you notice the Palestine symbolism with SZA wearing henna on her hand, and making a post on social media about the henna on her hand specifically before the show. There were messages in the fashion choices of the artists, they both had on leather jackets with LANG on it, which is Kendrick’s company. The colors are symbolic, those breakdowns will come to me in due time. Something I noticed that I don’t see people talking about is the NPC behaviors in Kendrick as if he was mocking a character from Grand Theft Auto, especially with the game being based in LA with a new release announced this year.

Again, those bell bottom jeans were not a stylist choice, they were very intentional. They were meant to send a clear message, while everyone is looking to find the designer, CELINE, I’m glad my curiosity led me to this discovery because I might have just found my next rabbit hole to jump down.

Interesting plot twist to the story. The morning of the Super Bowl, this was my morning walk to the local coffee shop fit. Yes, bell bottom jeans, a leather jacket, but with Black-owned sneakers my signature Ninety Nine Products.

I kind of what to have a discussion about this, did you know about the history of bell bottom jeans, or the history of jeans being a symbol of unity? Do you own a pair of bell bottom jeans? If so, how do you feel when you wear yours as a Black person?