Dr. Dre is in the house... literally! For this year’s traditional and world-famous Super Bowl Halftime Show, the mega-producer and singer reunited some of the planet’s most famous rappers to perform a collection of hit songs to a crowd of football fans. The stage simulated several houses on a block and featured many surprises and iconic moments.
The show started off with Dre and Snoop Dogg, who performed 1999’s “The Next Episode” on the roof of one of the houses with his signature sunglasses. A few lucky dancers were able to enjoy the song right under Dogg, who later came down to sing with a band in a set that simulated his living room. Dre and Dogg also performed “California Love”, one of the most famous hit singles by the late rapper 2Pac.
And then… 50 Cent made a surprise appearance in a highly unexpected way. The singer, producer and actor started singing one of his most famous songs, “In Da Club”, while upside down. As you’d expect, the house in which 50 Cent appeared got turned into a club with strobe lights and a dance floor. Why was the rapper upside down, you ask? It was a reference to the song’s music video, whose setting is a science experiment.
But enough about half a dollar. It was then time for Mary J. Blige, who made a callback to her very first hit single “Family Affair”. The R&B singer sang her heart out on top of one of the houses while dancers populated all the different scenarios from the stage. Blige then moved on to “No More Drama”, the title track of her 2001 album. After Blige sang her heart out until she couldn’t physically stand anymore, it was time for one of the most anticipated performances of the night.
Kendrick Lamar delivered an elaborate performance that featured the type of choreography we’re used to seeing in his music videos. When “M.a.a.D. City” began, several dancers popped out of “Dre Day” labeled boxes and they did a choreography you’re bound to see on TikTok over the next days. Lamar, who was recently in the cast of Starz's Power, ended his first performance after a five-year break with “Alright”.
Last but not least, Eminem took the stage – or the houses – and the crowd with 8 Mile's Academy Award-winning song “Lose Yourself”, which had the dancers break choreography and just vibe and cheer like a crowd in a concert. All of the singers then reunited to end the halftime show with the Dr. Dre song “Still D.R.E.”
As expected, the halftime show is today one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. At the time this article was written, the show was sitting on 16 million views and counting. You can watch the full performance below: