Dr Dre leads crew of all star rappers at Super Bowl half time show
The NWA co-founder was joined by Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar, with a surprise appearance from 50 Cent.
Dr Dre led a crew of all star rappers at a nostalgic Super Bowl half-time show, which threw back to their community hip-hip roots.
NWA co-founder Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar teamed up for the event which also saw a surprise appearance from 50 Cent.
The 56th running of the NFL’s showpiece event took place in the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with home team the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Cincinnati Bengals.
The show was also a home event for Lamar, Dre and his protégé Snoop, all of whom are from Southern California.
The pair kicked off the show with a rendition of their collaborative song The Next Episode, performed on top of a white community housing set complete with low rider cars.
A performance of west coast rap anthem California Love followed, with Dre singing the lyrics to song by the late Tupac Shakur, another of his rap disciples, while scores of dancers performed in front of the stage.
In a unexpected twist, rapper 50 cent, real name Curtis Jackson, appeared hanging upside down before joining the party with a performance of his hit song In Da Club.
R&B queen Mary J Blige followed, showing off her incredible vocal range as she performed on top of the set roofs alongside slickly choreographed dancers in sparkling one piece costumes.
Lamar followed with his own crowd of group of dancers dressed in all black suits, wearing sashes reading “Dre Day”.
Finally, Eminem appeared and treated crowds in the 70,000 seat capacity stadium to a rendition of Lose Yourself.
The crew reassembled on the roof for a final performance of Still Dre.
The Super Bowl, one of the biggest cultural events in the US, featured the usual Hollywood star power, with blockbuster film trailers and celebrity-filled adverts appearing during the many commercial breaks.
A 30-second slot at this year’s Super Bowl reportedly costs about 7 million dollars (£5 million).
This year’s offering saw Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd team up for a humorous crisps advert, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek become Greek Gods to sell BMWs, and original cast members of the Sopranos recreate their famous opening credits for Chevrolet.
Mike Myers also reprised his role as dastardly comic villain Dr Evil for an Austin Powers themed sketch to promote electric vehicles.
The Super Bowl was opened by actor Dwayne Johnson, who channelled his former pro-wrestler persona The Rock to welcome the world to the game.
