A sublime ode to old-school L.A. hip hop at the 56th Super Bowl halftime show

A first for hip-hop and rap

The Jay-Z-manufactured halftime show marks the first time that rap artists have taken centre phase at the Super Bowl. Whilst the style has manufactured halftime appearances in the past, it has hardly ever highlighted a rap artist as a key headliner. Hip hop and rap stars this sort of as Nelly, P. Diddy, Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliott have all been paired with other artists.

As mentioned by the New York Periods, it was not right until 2010 that the Superbowl ended a short era of performances by outdated-timers these kinds of as Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. That calendar year, the pop-rap team Black Eyed Peas gave a performance accompanied by Guns N Roses, reintroducing pop hitmakers to the Super Bowl phase.

“We recognize the NFL for even entertaining hip-hop mainly because we know a ton of folks that don’t want hip-hop onstage,” rapper Snoop Dogg said in a press conference forward of the clearly show. “But we’re below now and there’s nothing at all you can do about it.”

An ode to California

With Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Lamar present, 3 of the night’s five headliners had been California-born artists accomplishing on their house turf — and the halftime exhibit established reflected their appreciate for Los Angeles. 

“We are gonna open up far more doorways for hip-hop artists in the long term,” reported Dr. Dre at the earlier push convention.

View | Rap and hip hop royalty seem in trailer for Tremendous Bowl LVI halftime present:

https://www.youtube.com/observe?v=h3NhX6-5mO0

The pristine established was an homage to the city, with a row of little white buildings mirroring major L.A. landmarks these as nightclub Eve’s Right after Darkish and Tam’s Burgers. The industry was transposed with a nighttime satellite watch of the town. Dancers collected outdoors the two-stage set, dancing inside of the structures, on their rooftops and in the three old-faculty automobiles underneath, providing the exhibit the experience of an intimate block celebration.

Hip-hop royalty joined by exclusive friends

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg opened the show with The Subsequent Episode and California Appreciate before surprise guest 50 Cent took the stage. Dancers surrounded him in a nightclub-nostalgic scene as he executed his 2003 hit In Da Club.

R&B queen Mary J. Blige arrived following, decked out in silvery glitter for a general performance of Family members Affair and No More Drama. Kendrick Lamar appeared with a crew of black-suited, bleach-haired dancers donning “Dre Day” sashes slung across their chests. He carried out m.A.A.d City and Alright.

Eminem took the phase next, doing Shed Your self to a crowd of hooded dancers, with a different distinctive visitor — California-born rapper Anderson Paak — obtaining the time of his life on the drums close by. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre rounded out the general performance with their 1999 tune Nevertheless D.R.E., the other performers collecting onstage with them. 

For all of the star electricity squeezed into a 20-moment exhibit, the halftime efficiency was a welcome blast from the previous, with seamless transitions from one artist to the following. The set was both elegant and realistic, offering each performer the space to make it their possess.

Observe | The headliners of 2022 Tremendous Bowl halftime show go over their historic functionality:

Jay-Z generated demonstrate in partnership with NFL

In 2019, Jay-Z and his record label Roc Country partnered with the NFL to make the Super Bowl halftime demonstrate and tackle the league’s record on race and social justice. The NFL has been criticized for its alleged blacklisting of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who famously protested racial inequality in the United States by kneeling on the discipline all through the American countrywide anthem.

The league’s cure of Kaepernick has prompted major functions these as Cardi B and Rihanna to decrease halftime exhibit invitations. In 1 noteworthy moment during this year’s demonstrate, Eminem took a knee just after his effectiveness, a reference to Kaepernick’s 2016 protest.