The 2022 Super Bowl LVI halftime show was a full-fledged throwback for millennials across the City of Angels and the world. Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and surprise guest stars 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak delivered nostalgia with an early-2000s show.
The show, which came midway through the Los Angeles Rams’ hometown victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, was a proud celebration of Black L.A.
This was the first halftime show consisting entirely of rap and hip-hop artists. And only one song, Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,†was released in the last decade.
Locals were thrilled to see a marquee of the legendary Compton dance club Eve’s After Dark, where Dr. Dre’s sound first gathered steam before turning into G-Funk.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Mary J. Blige performs “No More Drama.â€
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Dr. Dre performs “Still D.R.E.â€
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
50 Cent performs “In Da Club.â€
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Kendrick Lamar performs “M.a.a.D City.â€
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
For “In Da Club,†50 Cent started out hanging upside down before descending into a mock nightclub populated by women.
(Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Roc Nation)
For Eminem’s portion of the quick-moving show, he rapped a few lines from “Forgot About Dre†before moving into “Lose Yourself,†his Oscar-winning rely-on-yourself jam.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dr. Dre. left, and Snoop Dogg opened the halftime show with “The Next Episode.â€
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
This year’s show was the third halftime — after the duo of Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020 and the Weeknd last year — overseen by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation company.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Eminem finished his set by taking a knee, nodding to Colin Kaepernick’s much-discussed NFL protest from a few years ago.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Mary J. Blige, left, was dubbed the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul in the early ’90s.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Eminem raises his hand as he performs.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
50 Cent started his performance hanging upside down.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dancers perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show.
(Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Mary J. Blige’s new album, “Good Morning Gorgeous,†came out last week.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Eminem wore his staple hoodie for the show.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Three vintage Chevrolet Impalas served as visual nods to lowrider culture.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Eminem, left, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg asserted the power of hip-hop’s oldies generation on pop music’s most-watched stage.
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