Maybe you watched Super Bowl LVI to see the Rams take on the Bengals. Maybe it was because it was being hosted in Inglewood’s shiny new SoFi Stadium. Or maybe you were just in it for the commercials and halftime show—and the latter certainly didn’t disappoint this year.
Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak (who could be spotted playing drums) led the halftime show on a very Compton-inspired set at SoFi Stadium. (We’ve included a video of the performance at the bottom of the story.)
A recreation of the late-modern Martin Luther King Jr. memorial at Compton City Hall anchored one end of the white block of buildings, with the Compton Courthouse on the other end and a street scene in between of local shops lined by lowriders. You could spot some notable local restaurants, too: a sign for Tam’s Burgers, plus a digital window with Dale’s Donuts visible (not to be confused with Randy’s, though both doughnut-topped spots descend from the defunct Big Donut Drive-In chain). Also spotted: a marquee for Eve After Dark, seemingly inspired by the nearby ’70s club.
Musically, it was pretty heavy on turn-of-the-millennium hits. Dr. Dre rose up from a faux home studio at an all-white mixing board for performances of “Next Episode” and “California Love” with Snoop Dogg. 50 Cent unfurled from the ceiling—just like in the music video—for “In Da Club.” Mary J. Blige got crunk up on the roof of the set for “Family Affair” followed by “No More Drama.” Next up was Kendrick Lamar, performing “m.A.A.d. City” and “Alright” on top of an illuminated map of the city. Then Eminem busted out of the courthouse building for just a tease of “Forgot About Dre” before launching into “Lose Yourself.” Finally, Dre took to the piano to for the opening of “Still D.R.E.” before wrapping up the show with the rest of the lineup.
Check out the full performance below (you may have to open the video in YouTube if the embedded player isn’t working).
