The Super Bowl is days away, which means we’re about to be treated to a one-two punch of football and halftime entertainment. Often as good or better than the game itself, the halftime performance is a spectacle all its own. And this year, the lineup will likely bring the house down.
Super Bowl XLI will feature Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Tha Doggfather himself, Snoop Dogg. It’s a fitting lineup that tips a hat to the L.A. hip-hop scene and it will almost certainly play from the incredible record 2001, originally released in 1999.
This year’s bill is an interesting mix of rap and R&B royalty. It’s not too much of a surprise that Snoop would perform, as he’s been busy in the limelight lately, hocking everything from Corona to his own brand of wine. Kendrick Lamar has been more secretive and it should be pretty special to see him share the stage with his esteemed predecessors. As arguably the best rapper on the planet right now (with a Pulitzer to prove as much), Lamar will more than likely offer some lyrical poetry, not to mention some relatively young energy.
What will the crew do with their precious set time? We’ll have to wait and see, but with this much talent on stage, it’s likely to be a memorable 12 or so minutes. It’ll be a first if nothing else. While Dr. Dre and Snoop have performed together countless times, this year’s halftime show will mark the first time these five stars shared the stage simultaneously. We expect some classic snip-its of tracks like Forgot About Dre peppered with shout-outs to the city of angels and the birthplace of west coast rap. An amazing 44 Grammies have been earned by the collective over the years.
It’s a lauded club to join. The Super Bowl halftime performance has featured everybody from Prince to U2 to The Weeknd. It can involve everything from fireworks and massive choreographed dance routines to infamous wardrobe malfunctions. And while we’re still dealing with a pandemic that rocked every industry out there, from agriculture to music, it’ll be nice to see a live show again, even if only on television from the comfort of our favorite couch cushion.
Touring has all but stopped over the last couple of years (although it’s picking up again), but the artists have still kept busy and won’t be showing any signs of rust on stage. Dr. Dre has been working closely with Snoop and Eminem and released a half-dozen new tracks at the end of last year. Blige is hot off of a new documentary about her Yonkers upbringing as well as a continued role in the second season of Power II: Ghost. Lamar has been teasing a new album for months and we’re eager to get a taste. Given just how connected these performers are, there’s a decent chance we’ll get a surprise drop-in from somebody like Anderson .Paak, Busta Rhymes, or SZA.
Sure, most of these cats are going on 50 at this point, but they are aging gracefully. The sheer level of talent on stage will be impressive. And who knows, maybe we’ll even witness some of them getting stage fright for the first time in their lives. Last year’s game attracted some 96.4 million sets of eyes, quite the audience to say the very least.
Be sure you’re all set for the football-related festivities, whether it’s the right appetizers or a friendly wager. Even if you don’t care much about the Bengals or the Rams, the commercials and halftime performance alone are worth checking in on.
