Serena Williams is not any stranger to having all eyes on her; nonetheless, performing within the Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present was one thing she by no means anticipated to attain.
The tennis legend appeared in Kendrick Lamar’s unimaginable present on Sunday for a quick stint on stage, the place she carried out the crip stroll – a throwback to when did the identical transfer after her 2012 Olympic win in opposition to Maria Sharapova, inflicting controversy on the time.
Serena shared a behind-the-scenes take a look at her iconic cameo by way of Instagram, bringing followers alongside on her journey to the large stage.
“When @kendricklamar and group referred to as and was like ‘We have been making an attempt to do one thing ceaselessly, what about this? We liked your crip stroll on the Olympics after you gained the gold medal,'” she captioned the video.
“I am like Tremendous Bowl? Are you critical? When on this planet would I ever have the ability to dance at a superbowl? (By no means) let’s do it!”
“I knew my profitable dance after the @olympics would repay at some point. Finish of story,” she completed.
© Kevin Mazur/Getty Photographs for RocThe video adopted the mother of two as she bought glammed up for the present and donned her blue and white ensemble, then ready for her massive second with a little bit observe on the sidelines.
She then carried out the long-lasting dance transfer for the world to see, earlier than operating off the stage in delight. “That was one of the best ten seconds of my life! Ten seconds!” she stated to her group as soon as she was backstage.
Serena obtained racist backlash in 2012 after performing the crip stroll on the Olympics, on account of its affiliation along with her hometown, Compton.
© GettyThe dance was created in Compton, the place Kendrick was additionally born and raised. “I did not crip stroll like that at Wimbledon — I’d have been fined!” she quipped after the present.
The 43-year-old’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, jumped to the feedback to share how proud he was of his spouse. “Let ’em know. Like Kendrick stated, ‘that is greater than music.’ People both UNDERSTOOD that Half-Time present — or REALLY did not,” he wrote.
“However then once more, very, very, only a few folks carry the torch you do for thus many individuals. Cannot anticipate a few of these jokers to be on that stage in the event that they’ve by no means breathed air that skinny.”
© GettyThe importance of Serena’s look was twofold, because the athlete dated the notorious rapper Drake between 2011 and 2015.
Kendrick’s beef with Drake is known at this level; after effervescent away for years, their feud reached breaking level when the Tremendous Bowl headliner launched the diss observe “Not Like Us” in Could 2024.
The tune options lyrics accusing Drake of nefarious actions, with strains like: “Say, Drake, I hear you want ’em younger,” and “Licensed Lover Boy? Licensed pedophiles,” in addition to, “Tryna ring a bell and it is in all probability A minor.”
© GettyWhereas Drake and Serena by no means confirmed their on-and-off romance, he was seen at her tennis matches and since their breakup has name-dropped her in a number of of his songs.
Ultimately 12 months’s ESPY Awards, she quipped that Drake didn’t stand an opportunity in opposition to Kendrick of their feud. “If I’ve discovered something this 12 months, it is that none of us, not a single one in every of us, not even me, ought to ever choose a combat with Kendrick Lamar,” she laughed.
“He’ll make your hometown not such as you. The following time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors sport, they will Forrest Gump him. Seats taken.”
