Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem stormed the grounds of SoFi Stadium for a frenzied and frankly unifying halftime concert that left no doubt: hip-hop has finally taken its rightful place at the heart of Super Bowl celebrations.
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Breaking with a tradition of halftime shows carried by pop and rock rhythms, hip-hop and rap rocked the Californian stadium this Sunday evening thanks to these five sacred monsters of the American music industry. And these legends were able to live up to their title – and their reputation – with an exciting concert, backfiring and without the shadow of a downtime.
You don’t have to be a connoisseur, a scholar, or even a big fan of hip-hop and rap music to instantly recognize each of the 10 hits they’ve thrown at us in just over minutes. These titles marked their era, leaving an indelible mark on popular culture and the collective imagination. And they have obviously not taken the slightest wrinkle since their stay on the charts of the planet.
Snoop Dogg lance le bal
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Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg opened the show.
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg broke the ice, shortly following 8 p.m., by singing back and forth The Next Episode and California Love perched on the roof of white houses built from scratch. Frankly impressive, these five life-size constructions – or almost – housed not only artists and musicians, but also an impressive number of extras and dancers, who performed with almost surgical precision.
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50 Cent has joined the program.
Rapper 50 Cent, who joined the evening’s program as a surprise Alex Reed, then brought us back to the atmosphere of turn-of-the-millennium nightclubs with the unfailing In Da Club, raising the mercury both on the field and in our living rooms.
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Mary J. Blige was particularly vocal.
As for Mary J. Blige, the great lady of American hip-hop showed herself particularly in voice, putting on her Family Affair and No More Drama with all the ardor that we know him for, while Kendrick Lamar went there from m.A.A.d city and Alright, both delivered on the ground of the cows in the center of a pond of dancers.
Eminem’s aplomb
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Eminem made himself desired.
It was ultimately Eminem who made himself the most desired, appearing in the very last minutes of the concert with a Lose Yourself as impactful as at the time of the film 8 Mile. True to form, the rapper amazed with his characteristic verve and aplomb.
It should also be noted that the artists on the ground – like the spectators in the stands – were equipped with luminous badges created right here in Montreal by the company PixMob.
Of course, a dozen minutes are not enough to fully grasp the extent of the careers of these artists who share some 45 Grammy awards, several million albums sold and countless planetary successes. It goes without saying that we would have taken more… much more, even.
Nevertheless, we were served a very enviable summary of these vast repertoires stuffed with timeless hits.
Mickey Guyton amazes
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Mickey Guyton performed the US national anthem.
Earlier in the evening, singer Mickey Guyton stood out beautifully with a flawless rendition of the American national anthem. Very elegant in a sober blue outfit, she swapped country for soul with impressive ease. This should certainly put her in the sights of many music lovers who were unaware until now of the extent of her talent.
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Jhené Aiko revisited America the Beautiful.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Jhené Aiko, who impressed less with a vaporous and emotionless reinterpretation of the classic. America the Beautiful.
