Lamar, himself, is no stranger to the halftime show. Three years ago at the Super Bowl LVI, he performed alongside two of the greatest rappers to come from the West Coast: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. But what feels so monumental about this moment, in particular, is that Lamar has been able to puncture the mainstream in his own way—on his own terms.

After Kendrick Lamar’s career had seemingly peaked, his Grammy-winning smash scored him the most prized gig in the biz as the first solo rapper to headline the Super Bowl on Sunday.