Tennis star Serena Williams added a surprising twist to Kendrick Lamar’s high-energy halftime performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday. She made a cameo, showcasing the crip walk, a dance move originating in Los Angeles. This move resonates with both Williams and Lamar, drawing a parallel to their shared roots in the city.

The crip walk, a movement crafted by members of the Crips street gang in Los Angeles during the 1970s, later became a prominent feature in the hip-hop community, particularly amongst artists with strong ties to the city. It’s a dance that has both celebrated and polarized, a part of a broader cultural conversation around identity and representation.

This dance move also called attention to Williams when she used it during her Olympic gold medal celebration at Wimbledon in 2012, after defeating Maria Sharapova. Criticisms from various quarters suggested that the dance was inappropriate and glorified gang violence, stirring controversy.

In a statement posted on her social media, Williams addressed the controversy surrounding her 2012 performance, throwing a playful jab at herself during the Super Bowl. “Man, I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon,” she said with a laugh. “Oh, I would’ve been fined.”

Williams went on to clarify, “It was all love,” indicating that regardless of the context, her use of the crip walk has consistently stemmed from a place of genuine emotion.

Supporters of Williams have long argued that the backlash against her crip walk was excessive and potentially even racist. At the time of the incident, she defended herself by saying it was “just a dance,” emphasizing the importance of personal expression. Her public stance on the matter demonstrates her unwillingness to back down from her cultural roots.

Williams’ cameo at the Super Bowl was not just about cultural expression; it also added a layer of intrigue given her past connection to rapper Drake. Lamar performed his Grammy-winning diss track, “Not Like Us,” at the event, which was said to reference both Drake and Williams. Lamar specifically warned Drake, “Better not speak on Serena,” indicating a complex web of relationships within the entertainment industry.

Williams, who hails from Compton, California, and is now married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian since 2017, continues to maintain her unique connection to the city through both her tennis career and her fashion choices.

This high-profile event highlights the power of cultural expressions and their ability to transcend the spheres of sports and entertainment into larger conversations about identity, representation, and community.