Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige & Kendrick Lamar FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show

The halftime show of Super Bowl LVI might have technically featured five announced headliners — Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige, with a surprise sixth in 50 Cent — but there’s no question that the hit-filled set revolved around two stars: Dr. Dre and the city of L.A.
And while the lyrics to the songs featured in the long medley of the performers’ hits — some of the biggest hip-hop songs of the past 30 years — were largely sanitized from references to racial strife or parts of the human anatomy, the sole white headliner, Eminem, managed to make a statement that pre-show reports said he’d been expressly asked not to make: Taking a knee, Colin Kaepernick style, to protest police violence against the Black community.

However, an N.F.L. rep told Variety shortly after the show that it was fully aware of Eminem’s plans. “We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that,” the rep said. “This was not an area of concern. A player or coach could have taken a knee today and there would not have been an issue.” Reps for Eminem and halftime producers Roc Nation did not immediately respond to Variety‘s requests for comment.

Either way, it was the one moment of protest in an otherwise air-tight medley celebrating Dre-style hip-hop and L.A. positivity. Performing on a five-stage, house-themed set atop of map of the city, Dre led the stars — in order of appearance, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem, with Anderson .Paak on drums — through a powerful medley of their hits, nearly all of which were produced and/ or co-written by him.

And indeed, a black-clad Dre was the maestro through the entire tightly drilled set. The Doctor is a famously meticulous producer, and the stop-on-a-dime set featured nary a musical glitch or slip.

It began with him at the controls of a giant, white, futuristic console that resembled a huge mixing desk before he was joined by Snoop, who was wearing a sort of psychedelic blue tracksuit, atop the roof of the center house stage for their 1999 tag-team “The Next Episode.” The pair moved into the interior of the house sets — complete with family photos, clips of their old videos playing on TV sets and scenes from Compton on the walls — while a small army of dancers performed at all sides of the set, which was embellished with three low-rider cars like the ones in Snoop and Dre’s early ‘90s videos.

The pair moved back to the roof stages for a rousing but brief version of the classic “California Love,” which is actually a Tupac song but was limited to Dre’s verse.

The scene cut quickly to the unexpected sight of a beefy 50 Cent — a surprise performer appearing before three of the headliners — even more unexpectedly hanging upside-down, rapping the beginning of his Dre-helmed hit “In Da Club,” wearing a white tank top, watching headband and a “50” necklace (that read “20” when he was upside down).

After climbing down, he rolled through the song, accompanied by a dozen-odd female dancers, before the action moved yet again to the center stage, where Mary J. Blige, in knee-high boots and a sparkly white ensemble, took the stage in a cloud of smoke and soared into her 2001 Dre-helmed smash “Family Affair.”

The set took a breath in tempo but not emotion as she quickly moved into one of her signature ballads, “No More Drama.”

Next up, the action cut quickly to the overhead map of Compton on the stadium floor as Lamar, wearing a black suit and accompanied by two dozen similarly clad male dancers with their hair dyed blonde and wearing sashes that read “Dre Day.” As they emerged from large black boxes (which also read “Dre Day”), Lamar began with a snippet of his L.A.-themed early hit “M.A.A.D. City” before cutting directly into his 2015 anthem “Alright.”

This song, more than any other, saw its impact lessened by the tidied-up lyrics, leaving little of the social impact of the original. However, that was probably lost on many of the viewers not already familiar with the song, as Lamar’s lighting-fast rapping obscured many of his lyrics.

But suddenly, he was rapping the lyrics to Eminem’s “Forgot About Dre,” and the action moved back to the top stages as Em burst out of an exploding column, accompanied by Dre, back at the controls, leading an accompanying band with Anderson .Paak on drums. The ensemble roared into a powerful version of Em’s 2002 signature song “Lose Yourself” that turned into the climax of the set. (Want a good laugh? Turn on the closed-caption of your TV while Eminem is rapping.) 50 Cent and Blige were seated next to each other nodding along to the beat, on one of the couches on the set.

And as he finished the song, Eminem finished and took a knee, and stayed there for a full minute.

Just feet away, Dre sat down at a white grand piano and played a brief snippet of the DeBarge sample he’d used in Tupac’s I Ain’t Atcha” before moving onto the piano hook to “Still D.R.E.,” as he and Snoop moved to the finale as they were gradually joined by the other performers.

And with that, the set was done.

The show itself — produced by DPS, with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers and Hamish Hamilton as director — thankfully didn’t try to create an “urban” vibe and instead went sleek hip-hop, family-friendly without being corny. As he often has been throughout his career, Eminem was the disruptor — with Dr. Dre looking on with approval, not far away.

Since Kaepernick was essentially banished from their league after the 2016 season, the N.F.L. has worked to change its narrative on racial issues, bringing on Jay-Z’s Roc Nation as the official entertainment consultant and having far more diverse halftime and pre-show performers in the past, including the Weeknd, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. But does that represent real change for an organization that was criticized by the president of the United States for not hiring enough Black coaches? Time will tell.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×