NOSTALGIA ruled the stage at the Super Bowl halftime show, with hip hop icons putting on a show that was definitely one for the books.
One moment in particular stood out: Eminem taking the knee at the end of one performance, kneeling onstage for almost a full minute in what appeared to be a deliberate echo of Colin Kaepernick's signature act of protest from five years ago.
"Eminem" is currently trending on Twitter, with almost 600,000 tweets as of posting.
Outlets such as Deadline and Billboard speculate that this gesture was in defiance of the NFL’s wishes, based on a report from Puck’s Eriq Gardner.
“If you think this was sanctioned by the league, watching NBC’s cameras whip off the MC’s kneel made it obvious this was not what the NFL thought was going to happen,” wrote Deadline’s Dominic Patten.
However, NFL representatives denied that this was the case, and told the New York Post that “players have been taking knees since 2016 without sanctions, so musical talent wouldn’t be held to a different standard.”
While Eminem has not spoken publicly about the gesture, he has openly referenced the activist quarterback in his lyrics in the past.
It was one of many jawdropping moments of a show that many online are calling the greatest ever, as the five main performers — Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige, Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar — played the hits anyone growing up at the turn of the millennium bopped their heads to.
Dre even brought in 50 Cent for a surprise performance of “In Da Club”, so you can nod your head like it was 2003 all over again.
Here’s the full set for your next Spotify playlist:
“The Next Episode” — Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
“California Love” — Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
“In Da Club” — 50 Cent
“Family Affair” — Mary J. Blige
“No More Drama” — Mary J. Blige
“m.A.A.d City” — Kendrick Lamar
“Alright” — Kendrick Lamar
“Forgot about Dre” — Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Dr. Dre
“Lose Yourself” — Eminem
“Still Dre” — Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem
Many joked that the Super Bowl halftime show made them really feel their age
Ye is diggin’ it
Greatest halftime show of all time?
West Coast represent!
When that In Da Club intro hits…
Check out the varied reactions to that Eminem moment
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