Apple Music hosts speak with Kendrick Lamar ahead of Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (KMIZ)

Apple Music hosted its Super Bowl 59 Halftime Show press conference for The Official Kendrick Lamar Interview on Thursday.

On Sunday, Lamar swept the Grammy's with "Not Like Us" winning all five categories he was nominated in, including Record of the Year. He also secured the win for Song of the Year and Best Rap Performance.

This Sunday, the 22 Grammy award-winning artist is set to headline the Super Bowl 59 halftime show and will be joined by St. Louis native, singer SZA.

"This is a true art form sort of represented on this type of stage," Lamar said. "It's like everything that I've worked for and everything that I believe in. As far as the culture, life, I live and die by this."

Lamar joined Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Eminem and Mary J. Blige in a Super Bowl performance a few years ago. For Super Bowl 59, he'll be the first solo hip artist to headline the show.

On Thursday, Lamar revealed he will be performing a 13 minute set. He says storytelling will be a big focus of the performance.

"I think I've always been very open about storytelling to all my catalog and my history of music, and I've always had a passion about bringing it on whatever stage I'm on," Lamar said. "Whether there's a world tour, or whether there was 500 people at key club. I like to always carry on that sense of, you know, make people listen, but also see and take a little."

Singer Jon Batiste will perform the National Anthem while Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle will sing "America the Beautiful".

"When I was a little girl, my grandfather would he would put me on his feet and say, 'you got to know how to dance to live in Louisiana," Daigle said. "When I hear the rendition that we will sing, it just it really does remind me of those moments of dancing in the kitchen."

Trombone Shorty said the two put together a piece with a "New Orleans brass band street feel to it along with the rhythms of Lafayette."

Trombone Shorty said Lafayette is where Daigle is from. All of the artists performing are somehow tied to Louisiana or New Orleans.

"We look after each other," Daigle said. "And I think that's the most beautiful part to be able to represent."

Ledisi will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing." All four artists were part of a moderated conversation with Ebro Darden on Thursday in New Orleans.

Apple Music Radio’s Nadeska Alexis hosted the conversation with Lamar.