All Or Nothing

I swear I came on here to talk about Ja Rule...

Hi everyone!

Yes, this is the Hyphen Universe newsletter fka It's Not Gonna Write Itself newsletter. I Once Scored 100 Points with Penny Hardaway was my newsletter name back in 2017 before I… just stopped. I've decided I want to go back to that format. You can read the previous issues here.

Also, fair warning. I went in about Kendrick's performance so if you feel some kind of negative vibes about it, skip to the bottom for the regular updates.

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Kendrick Lamar performed last night. As of this writing, his performance is almost at 16 million views. On top of everyone who saw it live.

I come to you offended. I expected there to be whining from those who, to quote K. Dot, are not like us.

Those who support Drake.

Those who didn't think Beyonce should have won the Country and Album Of The Year Grammys.

The older generation who have never understood rap.

Those who support Donald.

But my social media feeds were surprised to see people complaining about the lack of entertainment. And also how Kendrick was shucking and jiving for the NFL when he's been vocal about not doing those things all last year.

I encourage you to go back and listen again.

Kendrick didn't just diss Drake on the world's biggest stage (because he definitely did). Kendrick delivered the first hip-hop show by a solo artist at the Super Bowl. Yes, I saw Dr. Dre and that one guy (it's complicated), and Eminem, and Mary J. Blige too. But you know who left it all on the field that year? It wasn't the two acts who made “Deep Cover”.

It was Mary and Kendrick.

Kendrick was even criticized then for taking his anti-police lyrics out of “Alright” while Eminem took a Kaepernick type knee that was largely ignored.

But Kendrick was not there to entertain you, then and certainly not last night.

Just like Jadakiss and the Lox did at MSG vs. Dipset, he showed the world what the real truly looked like.

He didn't play the hits!

I'm sorry, I didn't know hearing “Swimming Pools” was that important to you. Most of what was in Kendrick's set list came out in the last year. The last YEAR. Did you want him to perform “Alright” again? Maybe have Taylor pop down to the field so they could perform “Bad Blood”?

This man performed “man at the garden” over black a cappella vocals. No backing track. But you're not entertained?

Maybe you thought SZA would perform some of her solo songs? Instead, we got “Luther”, literally and figuratively at the Super Bowl! One of the most incredible singers of all-time had his voice ringing out across the world in 2025. Luther passed in 2004 I believe.

But you weren't entertained?

In February 2018, I didn't know how bad I needed the first Black Panther film in my life. Black Panther wasn't just another Marvel movie for me; it reaffirmed who I was after two years of uncertainty under Donald's thumb. Kendrick made the soundtrack that went with the film. “All The Stars” still stirs emotion in me. I wasn't even writing raps that year and I still dropped 30 some odd bars to that beat, never to be recorded, because that song moved me.

To bring it back 7 years later and throw it in the President's face, wait, America's face, is genius.

I'm black and I'm proud and I'm still here and during Black History Month.

But you weren't entertained? You needed fireworks? You needed Usher to not be able to sustain notes and rely on his dancing and backing vocals alone? Really?

How could Kendrick work with the NFL? Drake was boycotting!

Drake was boycotting? Is that why he turned them down twice apparently? Allegedly? He doesn't want his name mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jackson? Prince? Beyonce? Katy Perry? Shakira and Jennifer Lopez? Drake doesn't want that?

Wait, you wouldn't want that? Because I'll tell you right now, I'd say yes. I would attempt to put on the best unpaid show of my life. Again, the biggest stage in the world. Not the Grammys. Not the Sydney Opera House. People of all ages saw Kendrick Lamar bring SZA, Compton, and hip-hop to the world stage. And Serena.

But you got morals? You're too righteous? You're too black and too good for the Super Bowl?

Damn, I wonder if Kaepernick would say no if the Jets came calling with their vacant starting quarterback position.

He wouldn't. Neither would you. Neither did Kendrick. Wayne cried because he wasn't asked and so many of y'all were bleeding for this man who doesn't think cops target black people unfairly.

I'm glad I didn't watch him forget the lyrics to “Lollipop” last night.

Drake didn't force Sexyy Red on us but y'all mad because he has morals and the show wasn't entertaining?

But you love hip-hop. But “Not Like Us” is a terrible beat. But you love hip-hop. But he performed like Patrick Mahomes did, right?

He didn't say damn near every lyric himself other than the melodic notes he didn't want to carry live?

He didn't sweat to death between different setups, only catching his breath when SAMUEL L. JACKSON was continuing the story in between songs?

He didn't dance like a carefree child and have choreography to pull off while rapping every single word? He didn't do that?

He didn't fade to the back to let SZA shine in a way that, I don't know, very few black women have had the privilege to do on the Super Bowl stage? He didn't do that?

You were bored?

That's right, Kendrick could have had Maroon 5 come out to perform that one song. Would that have been better?

Instead, we got the catalyst of the song that ended the Drake feud, DJ Mustard, dancing to “tv off” in front of the entire world. Who had that on their 2025 bingo card? Who had DJ Mustard down as producing the beat for what some are now calling the biggest diss song of all-time in 2024?

Not me. Not you. Kendrick didn't have to do it. But he did. Do you know why? Because Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is just a kid from California who loves hip-hop. He did not come to the Super Bowl to impress you or entertain you.

If you were impressed, damn! That means you have an open enough mind to look beyond what the normal mind sees. Congratulations for that. This essay isn't for you.

Kendrick brought the California hip-hop experience to the Super Bowl in a way that no one has or ever will again. You think a performance like this is happening again in my lifetime? Absolutely not! Get ready for Chappell or Billie or Taylor when Travis isn't involved in the Super Bowl. No disrespect to them but their shows will be meant to entertain. They'll be fun.

Kendrick's performance was a part of being arguably the greatest MC of all-time. I'll always have him at 3 behind Jay-Z and Nas but he was 3 after Mr. Morale, not after the battle. Being the greatest means you have the burden of carrying the culture on your back. How you choose to represent that culture at times depends on you.

Jay still has two full albums with R. Kelly.

Nas allegedly used to physically abuse Kelis.

Kendrick put on a Super Bowl that you didn't like. Because he didn't play “Pray For Me”? Because he didn't turn it down and burn a flag in immediate protest? Did you want him to commit career suicide and berate Donald when he has children and people that depend on him? Would that have satisfied you?

I honestly don't care. Last night lived up to every positive thought I've ever had about Kendrick. He was real. He was authentic. He was well rehearsed. He was matter of fact. He was black. He was hip-hop.

“If you can't respect that, your whole perspective is wack…”

I'm just a kid from Capon Bridge, West Virginia. What do I know?

Welcome back to I Once Scored 100 Points with Penny Hardaway.

Item! In the latest episode of Hyphen Nation, I eulogized my friend Moose. You can find it here, here, and here.

Item! So I decided to start playing Minecraft at age 41 last November. I've played and recorded a ton so I'd you're interested in watching me on the struggle bus, I have a new Minecraft video scheduled for every Wednesday until July. Check out last week's entry here.

Item! “Familiar Ringtone” was recently stricken from the streaming airwaves because of the Jodeci loop. You can still enjoy it here!

Items! A friend of mine, Kevin Lataille, passed away tragically a few weeks ago. In his honor, I reposted two videos to my channel that he shot because he loved the music, nothing less, nothing more. Please take the time to check out all the videos he shot on his channel. Rest in peace and all my best to his friends and family.

bhyphen.co coming soon! Continue to utilize hyphenuniverse.com please.

Thanks y’all.