First Hip-hop Show marks Historic Moment for the Super Bowl

By Faizan Waraich

February 10, 2022

Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige headline Super Bowl LVI for the halftime performance this year. This marks one of the most expansive lineups, leaving Colonie students excitedly waiting for this performance over previous years.

The Super Bowl halftime show tradition initially started January 15, 1967, with a performance featuring the Three Stooges with The University Of Arizona and Grambling State marching band.

The marching band performed a “musical visit to the four corners of the United States,” according to History.com. Being the first ever halftime performance, this acted more of a symbolic representation of American pride than the entertaining performances seen in more recent times.

he arrival of celebrity singers performing at the Halftime Show came in 1972, Ella Fitzgerald and Carol Channing. According to WNYC, Ella Fitzgerald was not only the first celebrity, but also the first African American singer to perform.

It wasn't until Michael Jackson’s 1993 performance that Super Bowl halftime shows became a national frenzy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, in order for the NFL to compete with Fox luring 22 percent of their viewers away with a special episode of In Living Color, the NFL set out to have pop sensation Michael Jackson perform. This paid off, as Jackson raked in over 100 million viewers with his performance.

Jackson’s record for the most viewed halftime show was ultimately broken by Katy Perry’s 2015 performance, which according to Bustle.com accumulated 118.5 million viewers.

With this long cataloged history comes this year’s performance which won't be all about having a fun light-hearted time. According to Forbes, given the recent controversy over Miami coach Brian Flores alleging discriminatory hiring practices, and field dancers being asked to work for free, Dr. Dre and the other artists want to make a statement about the discrimination present in the NFL. Therefore, they will perform without being paid.

Dr. Dre and the other artists also hope to pave the way for other hip hop artists to headline the show again in the future.

“Hip-hop is the biggest genre of music on the planet right now, so it’s crazy that it took all of this—and all of this time—for us to be recognized,” Dr. Dre said in a recent press conference. “We’re going to do it so big that they can’t deny us anymore in the future,” said Dr. Dre.

Given how dominant Hip-hop has become, Colonie students had an overall positive impression on this year’s lineup.

Colonie senior Alex Pause said, “I think it’s pretty good, a lot better than the ones in the past. Like Adam Levine, it was trash.”

Though some weren’t entirely excited about seeing every performer announced, having had strong opinions on the artists.

“I’m hyped for Snoop Dogg and Kendrick, not really that much for Eminem. His newest work is straight garbage,” said senior Ahmed Zegher.

One senior, Aldi Demelli, not caring for the halftime performance at all said, “No halftime show, they should play the full sixty minutes until they tire out.”

This year’s performance marks the first Hip-hop performance for the Super Bowl, making it already another historic moment in Super Bowl halftime history.