Kid Rock is invoking the words of the late Kobe Bryant as he heads into Super Bowl Sunday, aka the day he’ll headline Turning Point USA’s polarizing “halftime show” offering in protest of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.
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In a Thursday (Feb. 5) post on X, Kid Rock shared a quote labeled “Mamba Mentality” and attributed to the basketball legend about taking criticism in stride. “Learn to love the hate,” it reads. Embrace it. Enjoy it. You earned it.”
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and everyone should have one about you,” it continues. “Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.”
The hip-hop and country artist was announced as part of Turning Point’s “All-American Halftime Show” lineup on Feb. 2, along with Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert and Gabby Barrett. The ultra conservative organization previously shared plans in October to host the event at the same time as Bad Bunny’s actual Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday (Feb. 8) in protest of a Spanish-speaking artist headlining the coveted gig.
At the time, Turning Point promised that the alternative show would feature “anything in English” by way of musical acts and celebrate “faith, family and freedom.”
As evidenced by the Charlie Kirk-founded institution’s counter-programming, the September announcement that Benito would perform at the Super Bowl was controversial. At the time, many outraged conservatives labeled him as being “anti-ICE,” even though the Puerto Rican rapper hadn’t yet shared a stance on the immigration enforcement agency beyond saying he passed up U.S. tour dates out of concern that “ICE could be outside” his shows to target his Latino audience.
One week before the Super Bowl, however, Bad Bunny won best música urbana album at the 2026 Grammys for Debí Tirar Más Fotos — and while he was on stage making his acceptance speech, he made his feelings very clear.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ICE out!” he said at the Feb. 1 award show. “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we are not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans … The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”
Kid Rock, however, is a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump and has advocated for ICE’s mission of mass deportations. In a response to reports in May 2025 that the musician’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse in Nashville had been targeted by ICE raids, Kid Rock wrote on X, “I 100% support getting illegal criminals out of our country no matter where they are.”
See Kid Rock’s post below.