California Love at Super Bowl LVI
Tonight, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar rocked the stage for the Super Bowl LVI halftime show. At the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, these hip hop heavyweights brought the house down with Dre and Snoop reppin’ the West Coast. It was a family affair, celebrating all the stars’ hits with comfortable nostalgia and positive vibes.
Dr. Dre and Snoop opened the show over a mapped view of Los Angeles. Then 50 Cent turned the show upside down (literally) for a performance of “In Da Club.” The Queen of Hip Hop Soul dazzled in a glitzy mirrored set for a rendition of her hit “Family Affair.” Kendrick Lamar brought his poetic flair to the night, performing with dancers donning “Dre Day” sashes. Fans went crazy when Detroit rapper Eminem took the stage, seemingly wearing the same outfit since 2006. However, the highlight of his performance was definitely Anderson .Paak going crazy on the drums with his infectious smile.
Overall, it was a big night for black artists taking the stage for one of the most famous performances of the year. In a press conference yesterday, Dr. Dre said “We’re gonna open more doors for hip hop artists in the future and making sure that the NFL understands this is what it should have been a long time ago.” Country artist Mickey Guyton also lended her incredible vocals for the National Anthem.
Snoop Dogg is Making Headlines
In other hip hop news, Snoop Dogg has acquired Death Row Records. Before Snoop took over, Death Row was owned by MNRK Music Group, which is controlled by private equity firm, Blackstone. The label was founded in 1991 by Suge Knight, Dr. Dre, and Dick Griffey. Infamously, there is major beef between Suge Knight and Dr. Dre going back to the 90s. Knight claims to have a lifetime management deal with Dre, entitling him to 30% of all his earnings. And Knight claims that trying to get that money resulted in several attempts to take his life. However, Suge Knight is infamous for employing gang members and using a variety of tactics to intimidate and control his artists.
Consequently, this behavior caused problems between Snoop and Knight, with Snoop ultimately growing tired of Knight’s violence. The two squashed their beef in 2013 and Snoop told the media, “It was a meeting of two great minds that realized going at each other would just lead to two dead minds.” Snoop’s decision to buy the label has fans celebrating, given that he’s one of the most successful artists to arise from the label. Knight’s son, Suge Jacob Knight, gave his stamp of approval on Snoop’s acquisition of the label. He told TMZ, it’s a “victory for the West Coast.”
