Hip-hop and rap music took center stage during the Super Bowl halftime show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, including Eminem taking a knee with his hand over his head.
Initial reports indicated that the NFL told Eminem not to take a knee, but the league is denying those claims.
“We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.
Eminem’s kneeling, coming after his performance of “Lose Yourself,” resembled the headline-grabbing move former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick made in 2016 when he took a knee during the national anthem in protest against police brutality and racism.
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The Super Bowl halftime show also featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar sharing a medley of their hits.
Fans took to social media in support, with many affirming the pre-show hype.
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“OMG!!!!!!!!! WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!! THE GREATEST HALFTIME SHOW IVE EVER SEEN!!!,” NBA star LeBron James posted on Twitter.
OMG!!!!!!!!! WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!! THE GREATEST HALFTIME SHOW IVE EVER SEEN!!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 14, 2022
“Tough act for the 2nd half to follow,” former NFL agent Joel Corry tweeted.
Tough act for the 2nd half to follow.
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) February 14, 2022
The Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in a close 23-20 game.