By Mackenzie Shields

At this year’s Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, several hip hop artists and rappers took the stage in a collaborative performance. 

The show opened with Dr. Dre (“Compton”) as the DJ atop a large monochromatic town scene, facing an enormous white soundboard. He was soon joined by Snoop Dogg (“BODR”) who helped him open the show.

The goal of the opening song seemed to be to promote audience engagement and excitement, and was reminiscent of a pep rally.  

The performance’s musical aspects were rather simple. Much of what constitutes rap, namely its lyrics, were difficult to distinguish because of the venue. Stadium acoustics are notoriously difficult to work with for both artists and their audience.

The focus then shifted downward a club scene inside the set. 50 Cent (“Wish Me Luck,”) a surprise performer, sang “In Da Club.” Though this song was recognizable for many, the dancing felt unchoreographed, but effectively reproduced the atmosphere of a club.

The scene then shifted focus to Mary J. Blige (“Good Morning Gorgeous,”) adorned in metallic cheetah print and accompanied by a group of women. Blige provided the most melodic pieces of the night with her backup dancers, who later dispersed to give her the stage. Though seemingly out of breath, she dispensed some impressive vocals and ended with a dramatic fall to the ground.

Blige’s performance was followed by the next rapper, Kendrick Lamar (“Damn.”) He was revealed from a sea of dancers in cardboard boxes. Lamar’s portion of the performance was the most impressively choreographed and was accompanied by equally interesting camerawork. The use of panning and movement made these songs feel immersive. This portion also made use of overhead cameras, showing a dance reminiscent of a marching band.

The final and biggest entrance of the night was from Eminem (“Music To Be Murdered By.”) He emerged from the explosion of a set piece.

After a short interlude, the six artists united centerstage to finish the show.

Though rap itself and the works of these artists are often deep and meaningful, this performance seemed to focus elsewhere, especially when it was so difficult to hear the lyrics. Much like many highly commercialized concerts, the show in some ways felt like a demonstration of extravagance. 

The set, though an interesting concept, did not always translate well to camera. The individual performances taking place in different sections of the town were sometimes difficult to follow when seen through the lens of a camera. The finale, though, used the set well, moving artists between sections and placing band members strategically throughout the area.

One exciting aspect of this year’s show was that its performers were predominantly artists of color. The Super Bowl is arguably one of the most important events in American culture, and featuring artists of color on its mainstage is essential for demonstrating what America is.

This halftime show had a very specific target audience. For viewers who were not familiar with the genre or era of music, it was more difficult to feel engaged with and excited by the performance. For those included in the target audience, the show was exciting and enjoyable. These older hip-hop and rap artists, for some, constituted an exciting reunion full of familiar music and faces.

Image from NFL via YouTube