This year’s Super Bowl Halftime show might be the biggest one yet. The Super Bowl is making its way to Los Angeles, and to commemorate the occasion, West Coast legend Dr. Dre will be headlining the Halftime show. In addition to his own massive catalog, he is bringing frequent collaborators Mary J Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar along for the ride. Fans on social media have been going insane since the news dropped moments ago.
43 Grammys, 19 No. 1 Billboard albums and 5 legendary artists on the biggest stage in Los Angeles for the #SBLVI #PepsiHalftime show. 🎤 @drdre @SnoopDogg @Eminem @maryjblige @kendricklamar @pepsi @RocNation @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/THypGkS2si
— NFL (@NFL) September 30, 2021
The impressive line-up is huge for a number of reasons. Dr. Dre is a megastar in his own right but also helped produce some of the biggest hits of his co-headliners careers. From Snoop’s debut album to Mary’s “Family Affair,” and of course Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady.” Of course, Kendrick is arguably the most notable of the line-up to younger fans, with this performance possibly lining up with new music from the wildly popular MC.
The performance is more as it has a larger black line-up, something the Super Bowl was not able to pull off a few years ago during the height of the Colin Kaepernick drama. Several prominent black performers turned down the halftime show in solidarity with him and his cause. Kaepernick was famously blackballed by the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem.
Back in 2018, they tried to book Rihanna for the Super Bowl that year which took place in Atlanta. The pop diva declined in support of Kap. “The NFL and CBS really wanted Rihanna to be next year’s performer in Atlanta,” the insider reveals. “They offered it to her, but she said no because of the kneeling controversy. She doesn’t agree with the NFL’s stance.” After she declined, all eyes turned to Cardi B. That year’s headliner was Maroon 5, and Cardi B was an ideal co-headliner for them thanks to their collaboration “Girls Like You.” She had mixed feelings about not being able to perform, especially in her husband’s hometown of Atlanta. “My husband, he loves football. His kids play football. It’s really hard for him. … He really wants to go to the Super Bowl, but he can’t go to the Super Bowl because he’s got to stand for something.”
Jay-Z also turned down the Super Bowl in 2017. Despite how much it meant to his wife’s career, he chose to instead make his mark behind the scenes so that future Super Bowl performances can be more inclusive and really stand for something. Jay-Z partner with Pepsi and the NFL to create a Social Justice Initiative to help support Kap and influence change. As part of this partnership, he was put in charge of future Super Bowl performances.
During his announcement, Dr. Dre personally thanked Jay-Z. “I’m grateful to JAY-Z, Roc Nation, the NFL, and Pepsi as well as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar for joining me in what will be an unforgettable cultural moment.” In his own statement, Jay-Z said, “This is history in the making” while shouting out the various headliners and their contributions.
