In the weeks following Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance of "Not Like Us," thousands of folks all over the world have taken to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to post their own versions of the now famous dance. I've seen some terrific ones and some so terrible they literally made me cringe.
I think my favorite out of all I've watched, though, is this "Indigenous version," performed and uploaded by Indigenous hoop dancer, educator, story teller, and performer James Jones, who goes by "Notorious Cree" on social media. In the short but terrific clip, you can see Jones wearing beautiful regalia and demonstrating several impressive formations with his hoops, including eagle, Mother Earth, and more. The dance moves actually go perfectly with Lamar's song–I only wish the clip was longer!
On his website, he provides this bio:
James Jones, widely recognized as Notorious Cree, is a distinguished Nehiyaw (Cree) artist hailing from Tallcree First Nation in Treaty 8 Territory, Northern Alberta. Renowned for his mastery in traditional hoop and powwow dancing, Jones has captivated audiences worldwide, intertwining his cultural heritage with contemporary mediums to promote Indigenous traditions.
See more of Notorious Cree's dancing on his Instagram or YouTube.
And here's a dance tutorial if you want to learn some signature Kendrick Lamar moves for yourself (the lesson for the famous "shuffle" that everyone's doing starts at 5:55).
