The talented Steve Epting asked the question “What if Kendrick Lamar had a choir at his Super Bowl halftime show?” And the answer was a soul-packed, powerhouse performance that went viral big time! Epting led 30 talented musicians, including a 25-strong choir, on an inspired medley of Kendrick bangers. They performed with such passion and feeling that it’s impossible not to crack a big grin watching them crush it in the studio session.
Needless to say, the medley had plenty of killer performances, not only on vocals but also by the backing band. The sesh had a tight arrangement featuring killer cuts such as “Count Me Out”, “Don’t Kill My Vibe”, “Loyalty” and “Money Trees”. To be honest, before I saw this, I wouldn’t have even known you could present Lamar’s music in a gospel choir format and have it hit this hard. The Music Man has to say that Epting and his crew were really cooking with this one!
Steve Epting uploaded the Lamar medley to his YouTube on December 24, 2024, and it has since hit 3.4 million views. Fans were duly impressed and added comments such as “You could easily turn Kendrick’s discography into a musical and I would pay good money to go and see it!” and “While I thoroughly enjoyed Kendrick’s halftime performance… this was much needed. I pray he works with you all in the future. This was amazing!”
Lamar is not the only rap superstar who had his music get the choir treatment on YouTube. The Selected of God Choir also scored a viral video with their vocal rendition of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.” The dramatic performance features a musical arrangement built around heavenly vocals from the expert choir. The choir members not only lay out some delicious lead vocals, but the skillfully arranged backing parts really create a powerful energy on the cover.
Steve Epting didn’t end up getting the call to perform with Lamar at the Super Bowl, despite fans’ hopes. If he did, he would have had to scramble to come up with some new arrangements, as Epting’s medley focused on some deeper cuts, while Lamar’s actual halftime show set was basically a greatest hits collection. This approach proved to be a winner for Lamar, as his performance at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show reached 133.5 million viewers across the US, making it the most viewed halftime show in history. The Music Man readers may be interested to hear that the show was also historic as it marked the first time that the Super Bowl halftime show was performed by a solo hip hop artist.