Sunday’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was not only a star-studded event, it made history as the first time that rap was at the forefront of the entertainment.
Dr. Dre set things off as he rose from an all-white platform while the intro to his classic hit “The Next Episode” filled the stadium. Snoop Dogg joined him shortly after and the two headliners got the crowd hyped.
The duo also performed the late Tupac Shakur‘s record “California Love” before handing the performance over to surprise guest 50 Cent, who rapped his debut single, “In Da Club,” while hanging upside-down from the ceiling.
After 50, the Queen of Hip-Hip/Soul, Mary J. Blige, took center stage to sing her hits “Family Affair” and “No More Drama.”
Next up was Kendrick Lamar, the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music, who performed his records “M.A.A.D. City” and “Alright, before transitioning to Eminem‘s explosive entrance. Em performed his Academy Award-winning track “Lose Yourself” and ended his performance by taking a knee, a move former NFL quarterback Colin Kapernick used in 2016 to protest police brutality against the Black community.
After Em, it was time for a full-circle moment, which saw Dre and Snoop hit the stage one more time to perform “Still D.R.E.” as the previous artists joined them for a final bow.
The entire Halftime Show was a celebration of Los Angeles, as well as an homage to Dre, his career, and the many careers he had a hand in building.
And to make the deal even sweeter, the LA Rams became the Super Bowl 56 champs, winning 23-20 over the Cincinnati Bengals.
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