This year's Super Bowl halftime show was definitely a hit of nostalgia for millennials, with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, along with Kendrick Lamar, headlining the performance. It was also a celebration of rap and hip-hop culture — and with that in mind, it seemed it was important for Eminem to pay his respects to Black lives.
The artist, who performed his hit "Lose Yourself," took a knee after finishing his solo portion of the set, referencing former quarterback Colin Kaepernick who first did so during the national anthem at a 2016 game to protest racial injustice and police brutality. This comes after rumors and reports claiming that the NFL was preventing him from doing so.
Sources allegedly told Puck News that the football league tried to censor and sanitize the performance by making sure that there was no controversial political content. They reportedly combed through Dr. Dre's lyrics, made sure that Snoop Dogg's wardrobe was in check and not showing anything "gang-related," and asked that Eminem not to kneel.
NFL reps reportedly refuted these reports and, according to The New York Post,, said that "players have been taking knees since 2016 without sanctions, so musical talent wouldn’t be held to a different standard."
Aside from the announced lineup, 50 Cent also made a surprise appearance to perform "In Da Club." Anderson .Paak was also on the drums to assist Dre during Eminem's performance.
Watch the full Super Bowl LVI halftime show here.
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