The “Wild Wild West” sure knows how to throw down.
Dr. Dre wholeheartedly put on for the West Coast and hip-hop Sunday night (Feb. 13), as rap royalty in Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg headlined a legendary Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
While Rams’ QB Matthew Stafford defeated young Bengals’ gunslinger Joe Burrow in a back-and-forth brawl (losing 23-20), it was hip-hop that truly won — marking an unforgettable moment in the genre’s short, yet storied history.
In the past two years, the NFL has recruited some of music’s most show-stopping performers for the Super Bowl Halftime Show off the back of its current deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Records — bringing in the tantalizing duo of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020) and hosted The Weeknd (2021) at the pinnacle of his After Hours success.
However, this year’s show was arguably the most engaging of all, touting tons of Easter eggs and legendary talent through and through. Perched atop a set resembling their hometown, the energy was off the charts as soon as Dre and Snoop Dogg hit the stage for “The Next Episode.” The 14-minute long performance featured some of rap’s greatest hits over the past three decades.
From Snoop crip walking to “California Love,” to Anderson .Paak playing the drums to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” 50 Cent surprised everyone by hanging upside down while performing “In Da Club” — paying homage to his iconic 2009 music video. Kendrick Lamar’s portion was perhaps the most electric, returning to the stage for the first time since his November set at Day N Vegas. Performing “Alright” with “Dre Day” clad dancers assisting him, K-Dot’s set was a breath of fresh air, as rumors of a new single took wind during the performance.
As a philanthropic aspect of the halftime show, its sponsors will contribute to the construction of a new magnet high school in the L.A. Unified School District set to launch in Fall 2022.
The school will be established as a counterpart of the USC Iovine and Young Academy, a program created by Dr. Dre and legendary music executive Jimmy Iovine to inspire and educate L.A.’s youth about Integrated Design, Technology, and Entrepreneurship.
In light of Super Bowl LVI, Snoop Dogg is coming off an incredible week — acquiring Death Row Records, releasing his new album BODR (Back On Death Row) only to cap it off with a globally-televised concert at the Pepsi Halftime Show. Similarly, Kendrick Lamar has remained headlines as of late, announcing his final TDE album and collaborating with Baby Keem on his debut The Melodic Blue — ending his years-long hiatus from music. Recently, it was revealed that Kendrick will be performing at Milan Summer Festival in June where he will play “pieces of the new album, long awaited by fans.”
As hip-hop history was made right before our eyes, Dre, Snoop, 50, Em, Blige and K-Dot’s performance will not only go down as an epic night for music, but as one of the greatest halftime shows of all-time.
Watch the full performance of the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show below!
