“Not for the crowd it was for LA” — Netizens react as Kai Cenat says audience made no noise during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show

Twitch star Kai Cenat's comments on the crowd's response to Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime performance have generated much internet debate. On a live stream on February 11, 2025, Cenat asserted that the NFL intentionally added crowd noise to improve the broadcast.

Kai Cenat responded when he saw a YouTube video of Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance, claiming that the crowd noises had been altered in post-production.

"Okay. Oh, my god! They added sound effects to this NFL s**t. Oh, my f**king god! All right. So, right here, there was no sound. I just heard crowd sounds, on my life, right here, there was no sound. F**k! They added crowd effects? I did not know that!"

According to Kai Cenat, who was present, the audience's reaction to Lamar's performance was notably subdued.

"Kendrick Lamar came out, word to my mother, if anybody was there, y'all know what it was anyway, y'aaa felt it. Crowd was making no noise. This is me being honest. I was there."

Kai Cenat claimed that the crowd was most energetic when SZA and Samuel L. Jackson appeared and when Not Like Us was performed. He continued,

"The loudest times that they made... the loudest times that the crowd was... I think him being shown for the first time. SZA. Samuel L. Jackson being shown for the first time. And then, Not Like Us."

Additionally, Cenat critiqued Lamar's song selections, arguing that some songs should have been replaced with others to increase audience engagement.

"I honestly feel like... some of the songs, he should have switched out for more. You feel me? For, like, another song or some s**t. There were some songs on there that I was like, 'Damn, he could've switched that out for, like, this. This one's fire here, this one's fire there.' Right?"

Even while he recognized the performance's artistic merit, he insisted that the stadium's general atmosphere lacked enthusiasm.

"One thing I will say, though, although the vibes were not good, the crowd was not, I don't even think, like, bro, they were just not f**king with the performance. Like, up until Not Like Us. But what I will say is... the symbolism behind that performance was top-tier. I'm not going to lie."

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The internet's reaction to Kai Cenat's comments

Social media was inundated with responses to Kai Cenat's comments, with fans discussing the veracity of his assertions and the performance's wider significance.

A user contended that the performance was a cultural message rather than an attempt to appeal to a broad audience,

"Not for the crowd it was for LA"

Following this many chimed in,

Some users noted that considering the high cost of tickets and the event demographics, the Super Bowl crowd isn't the best indicator of a hip-hop performance's success. A user commented,

"He not wrong but contextually, think about who attends the Super Bowl; how much it costs. Watch any of the videos of people watching at home or at parties/bars and you’ll see how well received it was."

Adding to this another user commented,

"Crazy y’all think everyone in attendance were rap/hip hop fans."

While another user added,

"I feel like the main demographic of the Super Bowl was never gonna enjoy a Kendrick set list anyway. It was more so if you were a hip-hop fan, you were gonna fw it."

Others disputed Kai Cenat's assertions of fake crowd noise by citing recordings of the audience participating in the performance. A user commented,

"Tyga video and many others that were had proved that the people sang that special part. 70k people yelled it. That ain’t artificial crowd noise."

Another user added,

"When did crowd noise = a performance rating?"

According to several users, the incident was a part of a larger conversation regarding hip-hop in public settings. A user added his thoughts on this, asking,

"Did they feel guilty, attacked, threatened by what that short black man was saying? Hip-hop is for the culture. We gotta be okay when THEY don’t rock with us. It’s genuinely okay, guys."

Many people supported Lamar despite the conflicting responses, complimenting his skill and creative vision, a user commented,

"Idgaf K Dot did what needed to be done & he executed that sh*t flawlessly."

Discussions about the audience, the cultural influence, and the place of hip-hop on the grandest platform in sports have all been sparked by Kai Cenat's comments, which have only served to heighten the discourse around Lamar's Super Bowl performance.

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Drake's subtle move sparks more debate

When Drake liked an Instagram post that highlighted the allegations of the purported crowd noise augmentation, Kai Cenat's criticism received even more attention. Given Drake and Lamar's ongoing feud, many saw this as a subtle jab.

The 2013 dispute intensified in 2024 when Lamar dropped the diss track Not Like Us, specifically directed at Drake. Lamar used the song extensively during the Super Bowl performance, which fueled rumors that it was part of a broader rap feud.