Yesterday (February 9), Super Bowl LIX was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sports fans are still shocked by the Philadelphia Eagles’ impressive victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Music fans, on the other, are just processing the complexity of Kendrick Lamar’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
However, one of the most talked about moment has nothing to do with the “Not Like Us” rapper–but rather a protestor. During Kendrick Lamar’s performance one of his alleged supporting dancers, Zül-Qarnain Nantambu. Mantambu displayed a Palestine flag with a handwritten message drawing attention to the conflicts in both Gaza and Sudan.
Users online have credited Kendrick with the bold statement, which could have fell in line with his set’s overall political message. But in a statement to the Daily Mail, Nantambu denied the fan theory and said Kendrick Lamar was unaware of his plan.
“It wasn’t a part of [Lamar’s] plan,” he said. “I don’t want to attribute any of that to him because he didn’t know anything about that.”
When discussing the intention behind his actions’ Nantambu expressed that he wanted to show “solidarity with the people suffering over there.”
He continued: “We live a life of luxury in comparison to what they’re going through.”
Zül-Qarnain Nantambu was detained by event security and arrested. According to reports, he has not yet been charged with any crime.