Written by: Abbie Alonzo
The Super Bowl LVI halftime show was a breathtaking ode to 90’s hip-hop & rap. The performances given by the artists who shaped these genres were powerful and left us starstruck! Let’s take a look at 2022’s star-studded Super Bowl brought to us by the one and only Dr. Dre. 🏆
The stage was set up like a house, with each performer having his/her own “room.” We at With the Band believe the overall “house” was symbolic of Dr. Dre and each of the rooms represented these artists whose careers Dre played a big part in. The artists moved around throughout the house during the duration of the legendary production. The medley of songs performed were nearly all produced or co-written by the force behind 90’s rap & hip-hop, Dr. Dre. The show opened with him sitting at a mixing board, shortly after joined by Snoop Dogg in a performance of “The One and Only.” Dre and Snoop have had a close relationship for over 30 years, with the two first working together on Dre’s debut album The Chronic in 1992. Snoop says Dre took a chance on him and knew he was a diamond in the rough from the beginning. 💎
“The One and Only” transitioned into “California Love” by Tupac Shakur, which Dre produced. Tupac is still considered one of the greatest of all time, and Dre played a huge part in his career as well! Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg performed this on the roof of one of the rooms, before the camera pans down and shows an upside-down 50 Cent hanging from the ceiling. This unique performance was a recreation of his 2009 video for, “In Da Club.” A lively dance number supported the show, rendering it quite the production! Dr. Dre worked with 50 Cent to produce his 2003 major-label debut, Get Rich or Die Trying. This work would later go on to be the best-selling album of 2003. 💿
Attention then shifted back to the roof of the house where queen Mary J. Blige began singing her 2001 hit, “Family Affair.” Blige was rocking a white one-piece with beautiful, silver detailing and matching boots that left us OBSESSED! Though she made a name for herself in the 90s, hitmaker Dr. Dre helped her elevate her career to the next level when he produced “Family Affair,” which has now been dubbed one of her signature songs. “The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” switched gears and gave us a stellar showing of “No More Drama” that commanded the attention of the entire stadium! Ms. Blige, you dropped this. 👑
We then follow the camera outside of the house to see a setup of boxes with similar looking men standing in each of them. Out of the middle of them surfaces Kendrick Lamar, who begins his hit, “m.A.A.d city.” The synchronous dancers add to the utter captivity of this show! All eyes are on Kendrick as he breaks into another classic of his, “Alright.” Along with fellow performers, Kendrick also looks up to Dre, as Dre took a chance and signed Kendrick after seeing him on YouTube. Their relationship has only grown stronger over the last decade. 🤞🏽
Our attention is then brought to the side of the house, where one wall explodes and out from the smoke rises Eminem. He spits a few lines of “Forgot about Dre” before transitioning into his mega hit, “Lose Yourself.” With mentor Dr. Dre behind him on the piano and Anderson .Paak on the drums, Eminem delivers an impressive performance. Eminem and Dr. Dre have maintained an extremely close relationship for over two decades, with Eminem often crediting Dre for everything in his career. Eminem was another young rapper that Dre took a risk signing, but if there’s one thing we can gather about Dr. Dre is that talent recognizes talent! 😎
This one of a kind show wraps up with Dre playing the iconic piano riff to “Still D.R.E,” and breaking into song. All of the featured artists slowly make their way to join their mentor on top of the house, where they are surrounded by a show-stopping dance number. This show also made history, featuring deaf rappers Sean Forbes and Warren “WaWa” Snipe, who were the first sign-language interpreters in the halftime show’s existence. California School for the Deaf had athletes honored at the game, too, making this year’s Super Bowl even more legendary!! 🤗
The world of modern day rap and hip-hop would not have been made possible without Dre’s guidance and visions for these artists to grow and establish incomparable careers! With their combined 44 Grammy Awards, this was an iconic lineup that paid a beautiful homage to the historic rise of rap music. Knowing the history behind today’s music is so important, and these performers did a phenomenal job sharing their stories with the public. We hope you enjoyed Super Bowl LVI and took away a music history lesson from these inspiring artists! ❤️
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