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The Super Bowl is America's most anticipated sporting event. It is a behemoth, only second to the UEFA Champions League in worldwide viewership.
And for music enthusiasts, the Super Bowl halftime show is a treat to watch. Every year, the biggest names in the business put their own spin on this mini-set, combining visual extravagance with high-octave performances.
This time around, a cavalcade of hip-hop royalty came together to perform a scintillating medley of their greatest hits. The star-studded lineup included Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, May J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and surprise additions 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak (on drums).
Super Bowl LVI: A dose of nostalgia with a dash of modern greats
This performance was a landmark in many aspects. It was the first time the Super Bowl headliners were predominantly hip-hop icons. This has been seen as the NFL's bid for image recuperation after it handled quarterback Colin Kaepernick's protests against racial injustice poorly.
Speaking of the Kaepernick controversy, hip-hop's highest-selling artist, Eminem, took a knee during the show, sparking another round of online dialog about the issue.
Coming to the musical performance itself, the West Coast aesthetic was evident all over the set pieces. The homage to the Los Angeles area, which hosted the Super Bowl after 29 years, featured lowriders, legendary music venue Eve After Dark and Compton burger joint Tam’s Burgers #21.
Snoop even performed wearing an LA Rams jersey as he did his signature crips walk. The Rams taking the trophy home put a cherry on the cake.
Dr. Dre's presence was a West Coast legacy in itself, as he is considered the godfather of West Coast rap. The set was as much an homage to Dre's legacy as it was to the West Coast.
Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre opened the set with a verse from The Next Episode, a song that has now become internet gold due to its meme potential.
Then, Dre and Snoop dropped a verse for Tupac Shakur's iconic anthem California Love, in which Dre was a featured artist.
Their verse smoothly transitioned to surprise guest 50 Cent hanging upside down, reminiscent of the music video of his song In Da Club. Cent's verse was note-perfect.
Mary J. Blige was up next, performing rousing renditions of No More Drama and Family Affair. Her electric stage presence elevated the set's energy.
Kendrick Lamar's presence among the hip-hop titans of the past solidified his legacy as a modern living legend. He performed a verse from the incendiary track Alright from his era-defining album To P*mp A Butterfly.
Eminem was the final entrant into the procession of legends, as he sang a snippet from Forgot About Dre before launching into his Oscar-winning track Lose Yourself. The rapper has maintained his relevance over the past two decades, and his longevIty is in no small part due to his crystal-clear performing skills.
Anderson .Paak sitting on drums with the biggest grin on his face is sure to make any performance a touch better.
All-in-all, the performers took center-stage over production scale in this year's Super Bowl Halftime Show, to spectacular results.
