One Nation Under Hip Hop
So, a Detroit guy, a Bronx woman, and 3 L.A. natives walk into the Super Bowl right... Sounds like I'm about to tell a great joke, but the halftime at Super Bowl LVI was far from that. The second Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, & Kendrick Lamar got announced as this year’s performers, it was anticipated to be an epic halftime show for the most popular sport in America.
Mc Lyte's voice introduces us to what we are about to witness as the Pepsi logo shoots through space’s atmosphere at the speed of light, and lands in LA, shown as an aerial view of the city in the palm of Dr. Dre’s hand.
We open to Dre sitting at a control board flaunting a wingspan longer than the Greek Freak. 7 min read
Immediately enamored, I get a glimpse of what it must feel like to be in the room while Dre builds his Beats. The stage is adorned in white from the speakers to the floor and everything in between. The atmosphere is set. “Next Episode” renowned intro revs up the crowd, and as he increases the levels on the board, the set lowers simultaneously to reveal the stadium filled with over 70,000 people.
Dre stands up to greet them, hands stretched wide, looking larger than life with an aura that said, “We here!” Dripped in Crip Couture, his partner in crime Uncle Snoop Dogg appears. Classic in his performance, he begins on the “roof” of the stage (I instantly get flashed back to Snoop standing on the roof of V.I.P. Records in the “What’s My Name” video). An aerial wide screenshot reveals the stage is reminiscent of a railroad apartment. Snoop maneuvers from the top of the stage to the ground floor joining the live band playing in a living room like set.
While enjoying his street lyrics, my heart is softened by a picture hanging of him and his mother, who passed away in late October. You can only hold on to that fuzzy moment for so long before the infamous autotuned voice spews from the speakers saying two words that changed the energy of LA in 95, “California Love”. The crowd is hype as that is the West Coast Hip Hop anthem, and the million-dollar question is, will Pac’s hologram make a guest appearance? The Answer is No. Are you disappointed?
Instead, as Dre’s verse ends, the camera makes a slow pan down to surprise guest 50 Cent (who some call the East Coast Pac). 50, one of Dre’s biggest talents, reps queens and brings us right back to 2003 re-enacting the “In Da Club" video’s infamous hanging upside-down scene, to later be turned right side up continuing the performance surrounded by party-goers and dancers.
The transition brings us to our favorite rich auntie, Mary J. Blige. Dressed in sequence, blonde bundles swinging, and signature thigh-high boots, the Queen of Hip Hop soul showed all of these tenderonis age ain't nothing but a number. 50 Cent took us to the club, and Mary reminded us to keep it Crunk and leave the Drama at home with “Family Affair” and “No More Drama”. As usual, Mary put her heart and soul into her performance, displaying it by dropping to the floor in an exhausted fashion, marking the end of her set.
Then the camera gives an aerial view of men tucked in boxes marked Dre Day. We are about to witness no other than Kendrick Lamar. I enjoy the irony of an artist who refuses to be boxed in, starting his set out as such. Kendrick did what he does, but I would like to point out that his male dancers looked like they were 35 years and up. I’ll take that to reiterate the grown man vibe he’s on, mixed with militant overtones in his all-black suited-up attire. Dancers are adorned in the same with sashes that say Dre Day. He doesn't disappoint in bringing the Black History Month energy that we needed, starting with “M.a.a.d City”, and ending with the prolific anthem of the Black community since 2015, “Alright”. Assignment understood and executed. Did anyone else catch that he was paying homage to the Golden Lords from Meteor Man with the all-black outfit and Gold hair on the dancers?
Following that performance is Eminem. The camera cuts to what looks like a miniature building in which Em is being elevated from the ground floor to the top of the stage, ripping the structure along the way. This imagery paralleled his career, as he has done the same with his music contribution to Hip Hop. Starting with “Forgot About Dre” he is accompanied by Anderson Paak who is killin' the drums. They both lose themselves in this moment, as they should, closing with the appropriate song from 8 Mile's Soundtrack, “Lose Yourself”.
We are brought back full circle as Dre slides to the Piano and plays the keys of Pac’s “I Aint Mad Atcha” while Em takes a knee. This is when we realize Pac's hologram will not be a part of the show, but this is their way of paying homage (it's debated whether or not the knee was to pay respect to Pac, or if it was Em taking a Kaepernick stand. What do you think?) The good Dr. then switches the piano groove to "Still D.R.E.", this is the last song. He spits his verse while male dancers crip walk in the signature L.A. uniform, Khakis, and white long sleeve tees, with the Compton flag waving in the background. All of the acts join Snoop and Dre for the final Pose and it ends by propelling viewers to the top of the SOFI stadium, where we see Dre standing on top of it watching fireworks.
Just to be clear, every song you heard at the halftime was Produced by Dr. Dre and were number ones, solidifying that this was indeed #DreDay.
Why is this a big deal? For a couple of reasons. Each of these artists reminded us that music is ageless, timeless, and classic when executed correctly. They are all middle-aged, and in Hip Hop sometimes that can be a curse for your career.
We are lucky to have Hollywood Walk of Famer Snoop Dogg who at age 50, dropped what his peers say is his best album yet. Released February 11th, 2022, B.O.D.R is available on all streaming platforms. Snoop recently became the owner of Death Row Records (the label that launched his career) which was co-founded by Dr. Dre, so it was only fitting these two come together on the top showing they are here to stay, and the reign won’t stop in Hip Hop.
Grammy Award-winning Mary J. Blige, not to be left behind, also dropped her Good Morning Gorgeous album on February 11th. At the Gorgeous age of 51, this is her 14th studio album.
Pulitzer Prize-winner Kendrick Lamar, hasn't dropped an album in almost 5 years, but confirmed his last album on TDE will be produced by him (release date TBD).
Entertainment Mogul Dr. Dre has been teasing us with a Detox Album for the past 50-11 years, maybe this is the spark he needs to finally drop the music.
In between his social media trolling and building an Empire with show Power, Best Selling Author 50 Cent stated he is making one more album before he retires.
As for Em, well last week Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify, which helped him become the first act to have 11 studio albums with 1 Billion streams on the platform. Also, his studio album Music To Be Murdered By made its return to Billboard 200 and has now spent 100 weeks on the charts. With this, Eminem becomes the first rapper in history to have 7 albums chart for at least 100 weeks each on the Billboard 200.
Now for the other reason that this is important. Hip Hop has been included but has not been the epicenter of a Super Bowl. I will continue to say representation matters. Rap has been undeniably the most influential genre of music, and companies use celebrities from our culture for their benefit.
We know there are two sides to every coin, and with the history of Football & racism, many are concerned that we are still looking for validation from the gatekeepers by doing this show. Brian Flores recent lawsuit brings Colin Kaepernick's stance to remembrance, and I’m left wondering if cognitive dissonance is playing out here. If we are looking at the long game, you can say we needed this regardless of the political flags that loom in the background of this performance, so that it brings hope to future generations. Many are still pointing the finger at Jay-Z, thinking his NFL Board presence is just another band-aid on a wound without real change.
I, however, understand the patience, humility, and misinterpretation that comes with playing the long game. We are in a microwave society, where many expect to see a change in the tide when we have only dropped a pebble in the ocean (compared to what we are facing). James Baldwin said, "To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage almost all of the time - and in one's work". So with that understanding, are we able to appreciate the efforts of our people without diminishing their accomplishments, and fight for social & economic justice at the same time?
One thing I learned from the movie New Jack City is, to take down the corporation you have to infiltrate the system, appear to be one of them even. It can, however, be a dangerous game with your soul if you’re not careful. But something I learned from life is, it takes years for an individual to break habits and unlearn conditions, so I don’t expect a whole country to unlearn 400+ years of conditioning about our people in an expedited time frame.
Whatever side of the coin you land on after watching this Super Bowl halftime, I would like to salute those talented people who last night, made the nation listen to Hip Hop.
Comment below with your thoughts on the article and the Halftime show.
