This Is Why Serena Williams's Super Bowl Cameo Was Such a Big Deal

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If any one moment stole the show during Kendrick Lamar’s standout halftime performance during Super Bowl LIX, it was the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from tennis legend Serena Williams.

Lamar’s performance was very true to himself, being equal parts politically-charged and packed with if you know, you know references to his career and his hometown of Los Angeles. Along with Williams, the rapper’s longtime friend and collaborator SZA appeared onstage to perform with him their hits “Luther” and “All The Lights.” Meanwhile, legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson appeared throughout the performance as an Uncle Sam character.

But if you were confused by Williams’s cameo, you should know that it actually made all the sense for a number of reasons. For one, Williams is of course a fellow Angeleno, with her and her sister, fellow professional tennis star Venus Williams, both hailing from the neighborhood of Compton. (There was a little movie made about their rise as tennis legends called King Richard—you might have heard of it.)

Of course, Williams is also mentioned in Lamar’s massive, and now Grammy-winning, hit diss track “Not Like Us” (also known as The Song That Knocked Out Drake). The specific lyric mentioning her is: “From Alondra down to Central—better not speak on Serena.” The line—like the rest of the song—is an alleged shot at Drake, as the Canadian rapper reportedly dated Williams years ago. The athlete, of course is now happily married to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, and has been since 2017.

Whether or not Williams’s cameo was meant to be an additional dig at Drake or just an ode to L.A., we were happy to see her onstage either way. She is also no stranger to breaking out in dance alongside other superstars, as she famously appeared with Beyoncé in her 2016 music video for “Sorry” off of the singer’s seminal album, Lemonade.

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