Super Bowl 2022 Halftime Recap: Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and More

2021-02-14

Eminem, "Music to be Murdered By" album cover.

Eminem, “Music to be Murdered By” album cover – Story by Cat Badra, photo via Shady Records

Classic hip-hop ruled the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show

There was plenty of buzz leading up to the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, which was set to feature a range of classic hip-hop for the performance- the kind of characters who helped craft the entire rap genre. Headliners for the big show included Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, who carry a combined 44 Grammys between all of them.

The Super Bowl halftime show had never featured a bill of exclusively hip-hop acts, making this a unique booking. The show also rarely takes place in the daylight, but because the game was in California, the acts did their thing under a bright sun. Still, the performance carried a night club vibe, bringing attendees and views around the world into the hip-hop realm.

For Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, this was their first time performing at the Super Bowl halftime show. For Blige, it was her second, the first being in 2001 with Aerosmith, NSYNC, Britney Spears and Nelly.

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg kicked off the night, raising their mics in the air and performing “Next Episode” and “California Love.” The crowd exploded when the latter started up. Next came a surprise performance from New York rapper 50 Cent, performing his catchy 2003 hit “In Da Club.”

Mary J. Blige performed next, showing off her long, blonde hair and a sparkling white costume. She was surrounded by backup dancers as she sang her 2001 hit, “No More Drama.” Kendrick Lamar, the youngest of the crew, followed, rapping “Alright” surrounded by male backup dancers.

Detroit’s Eminem was the final act to take the stage, and he performed a powerful version of his chart-topper “Lose Yourself.” After his set, Eminem kneeled in a reported tribute to Colin Kaepernick. While some sources as reported that the NFL didn’t want him to do that, the NFL has since could out and said they were aware of Eminem’s plans and gave him their blessing. Finally, Dr. Dre took over again, performing “Still D.R.E.” on piano and rapping with Snoop Dogg to close out the performance.

The entire 2022 Super Bowl halftime is be available to view now on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and YouTube here.

Cat Badra
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