It’s a strange quirk of the NFL in comparison to other sports; whilst the teams are still battling it out on fields across the United States (so we have no idea which teams will feature) the acts who will star in the halftime show are already booked and being promoted! This seems all the stranger when you take into account the fact the NFL has no need to convince people to purchase Super Bowl tickets – the stadium will be packed to the rafters, whichever teams do end up featuring.
Super Bowl LVI – A Must-See for Rap Fans?
If somebody told you they were visiting an event with headline acts like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, you might assume they were heading to the East Coast to visit one of New York’s legendary hip hop nightclubs. But no – these are the headliners who will feature at the half time show for the Super Bowl, which will be taking place West Coast side – almost certain to be held at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in February 2022.
Hip Hop will feature so prominently in 2022’s Half Time Show that the announcement of these artists was made by Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation management company controls booking rights for many of these names. Jay-Z stated: “On February 13, 2022, at the Super Bowl, Dr.Dre – a musical visionary from Compton; Snoop Dogg – an icon from Long Beach; and Kendrick Lamar, a young musical pioneer in his own right, also from Compton; will take centre field for a performance of a lifetime. They will be joined by the lyrical genius, Eminem; and the timeless Queen, Mary J. Blige. This is history in the making”.
With the Buccaneers once again in contentions as +260 favorites with Legal sports betting site in Iowa Unibet, there seems a fair chance they could get the chance to run out onto the field to defend their title. The Cardinals and Packers aren’t far behind them though, and at this stage of the season it’s simply too early to tell who the final teams will be on the day.
How this line-up came to be:
It’s almost three years since the NFL first began their partnership with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, which likes to be known as a “full-service entertainment company”. The reason for this is that Roc Nation is no longer just a management agent or talent agent – they have their own sports agency, record labels, TV & film production wing, clothing line, touring management, publishing, philanthropy, and media relations arms as well.
The halftime Show at Super Bowl LVI will be the biggest collaboration between America’s largest sporting league and the entertainment giant since they entered that partnership. In 2020, The Weeknd took to the field during the halftime show before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went on to beat the previous year’s winners the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. The year before, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez formed part of a show in which Roc Nation was heavily involved.
Dr. Dre is seen as something of a father figure within the US Hip Hop scene – his nurturing of Eminem from a baby-faced teen to the dominant force in the genre that he is today is no secret. It seemed fitting then, that Dr. Dre was the one to join Jay-Z in also making a statement, thanking the NFL, Pepsi, and his co-stars on the day, as well as noting “The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career”.
The Artists: A Combined 43 Grammy Wins
Dr. Dre himself has six Grammy’s of his own – an impressive count, for sure, yet it is Eminem, with a massive collection of 15 Grammy Awards collected from his own studio albums that shares the top spot. His equal in Grammy terms is Snoop Dogg, who narrowly missed out on another two awards for which he was nominated. Eminem has sold more records than Snoop Dogg though and is one of the best-selling rappers of all time – many of his albums seemingly appealing to an audience that reaches far outside the typical Hip Hop sphere.
Kendrick Lamar looks sure to overtake Eminem eventually, having already gathered 13 Grammys and an Academy Award nomination for his contribution to the soundtrack of “Black Panther” despite being just 34 years old – you might not guess it to look at him, but Marshall Bruce Mathers III – better known as Eminem – turns 50 this year.
We can’t fail to mention Mary J. Blige’s nine Grammy Wins too, as the only lady on this list. She was a recent nominee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and is one of the best-selling female R&B and Hip Hop artists of all time.
