West coast rap takes center stage at Super Bowl halftime show in Inglewood
The Super Bowl LVI halftime show was billed as hip-hop being front and center on football’s grandest stage and it didn’t disappoint.
Various acts in recent years have had glimpses of rap incorporated in guest appearances but never have so many of the genre’s biggest stars performed together at once.
Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and Eminem combined for a performance that leaned heavy into west coast rap but merged some of most notable songs from both coasts in the last three decades.
Dre, a Compton, California native, and Snoop, who is from Long Beach, began the show with “Next Episode” and “California Love,” a pair of songs from Dre’s “2001 album.”
Snoop, decked out in a blue and yellow Rams-themed shirt, crip-walked on a stage that resembled a home and paid tribute to his upbringing.
Super Bowl halftime shows are known for including a surprise guest and this year it was 50 Cent. The New York native performed the Dre-produced “In Da Club” upside down like in his original music video.
Blige came out to the stage in a dazzling outfit with silver sparkles and her trademark thigh-high boots. The nine-time Grammy Award winner performed “Family Affair” as part of her set.
Lamar, another Compton native, was next, performing hits “M.A.A.D City” and “Alright” before transitioning into Eminem’s performance of “Lose Yourself,” in which the crowd at SoFi Stadium erupted in response.
Anderson .Paak, an Oxnard, California, native, was another of the night’s guest appearances, playing the drums during Eminem’s performance.
Eminem at one point also appeared to take a knee, a nod to quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who did so to protest police brutality in America.
OBJ leaves early with knee injury
Odell Beckham Jr.’s redemption tour with the Los Angeles Rans continued in the Super Bowl but was unfortunately short-lived.
Beckham got the scoring started with a 17-yard catch in the first quarter but left Sunday’s game in the second quarter after sustaining a non-contact left knee injury.
He attempted to corral a pass thrown behind by quarterback Matthew Stafford and quickly fell to the ground after tweaking his knee.
Beckham walked into the blue medical tent and later went back to the team’s locker room. He was listed as questionable to return and downgraded to out in the middle of the third quarter.
Beckham signed a one-year deal with the Rams in November after being released by the Cleveland Browns. His first-quarter touchdown catch was his seventh score in 12 games as a Ram, tying his total during his entire tenure in Cleveland, which spanned 29 games.
Beckham finished the game with two catches on three targets for 52 yards and a score.
Bengals trickery
The championship game is prime opportunity to bring out trick plays and the Cincinnati Bengals delivered the latest.
Facing second-and-goal from the 6-yard line, quarterback Joe Burrow tossed the ball to running back Joe Mixon, who started to run before tossing a pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins in the corner of the end zone.
Mixon became the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown in the Super Bowl since the Eagles’ Trey Burton threw to Nick Foles in the famed Philly Special.
