Chance The Rapper has shared his praise for the backing dancer who held up a Palestinian flag during the Super Bowl.
During Kendrick Lamar’s history-making performance at this year’s annual league championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the rapper was joined by a 400-strong cast of dancers and models.
Towards the end of the performance on February 9, one of the dancers unfurled the Palestinian flag with the words “Sudan” and “Gaza” written on it. He then jumped off the stage and ran across the field, waving the flag around.
The unidentified man was chased down by security before finally being tackled to the ground and escorted off the field. It was reported that he would not face any charges over the stunt but was subsequently banned for life from attending any NFL games.
While appearing as a guest on TNT’s NBA Tip-Off to chat with hosts Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith, Chance The Rapper opened up about his thoughts on the Super Bowl.
Chance The Rapper’s favorite part of the Super Bowl was our favorite part too
pic.twitter.com/yyemi8aCjt
— WearThePeace (@WearThePeaceCo) February 15, 2025
“I thought it was awesome,” the rapper shared (via Complex). “First of all, it was the first time a rapper headlined the Super Bowl. It’s long overdue. But I think it was an incredibly impactful performance. It was a great time to see and hear…what’s culturally relevant right now.”
He then went on to praise the protester: “And I think one of the coolest things that I saw was, you know, it was a moment of protest and a moment of us getting to see what’s going on in the world. So shout-out to Sudan, shout-out to Gaza, shout-out to Goma, and the people that are just suffering around the world. It was an opportunity for the world and for, you know, I’m saying the President of the United States to see what’s going on out there.”
Al Jazeera anchor: “In response to your protest, the NFL says you’ll now be banned for life. Would you still have done it if you knew the risks?”
Super Bowl protester Zul-Qarnain Nantambu: “The risk of a ban? I was afraid I’d get sniped by a Secret Service bullet. I can watch a… pic.twitter.com/nBTKfKqymb
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) February 11, 2025
The Super Bowl protester was identified as Zül-Qarnain Nantambu. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he was asked if he would have still gone through with his protest if he knew he would have been banned.
“The risk of a ban? I was afraid I was gonna get sniped by a Secret Service’s bullet,” he said. “I can watch a football program on the television if I choose to, sir.”
Speaking about why he felt like he needed to protest, Nantambu explained that his faith as a Muslim inspired him to go forward with the act. “As a practising Muslim, our Prophet Mohammad teaches us: if you see a wrongdoing, or you’re aware of a wrongdoing, you must stop it,” Nantambu said. “So I had an opportunity on a grand scale to bring awareness of speak out against a wrong [against] our Muslim brothers and sisters. Because we’re spiritually connected in Islam, and we’re human and we’re connected with empathy for humanity.”
In other news, Kid Rock shared his opinions on Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime performance, saying that he “respects” it but thinks it’s “the epitome of DEI blowing up”.
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