Rumors swirled that Detroit-born rapper Eminem kneeled during the Super Bowl halftime show after being warned by NFL execs not to do so.
Eminem joined mentor Dr. Dre, who headlined the Pepsi Super Bowl halftime show with Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. Mary J Blige and 50 Cent also contributed to the legendary halftime show.
The Super Bowl was a homecoming event as the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. West Coast rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre began the show with The Next Episode and transitioned into Tupac’s California Love, which made the California crowd go wild.
Eminem kneeled during the Super Bowl halftime show despite rumors NFL warned him against doing so
The SoFi Stadium crowd went wild when Eminem performed 8 Mile song, Lose Yourself. The rapper kneeled at the end of the song and placed a hand over his head. He remained in a kneeling stance as Dr. Dre played 2Pac’s I Ain’t Mad At Cha on the piano.
Viral tweets suggested that Eminem refused to heed NFL warnings not to take a knee.
“This is it. Right here. Eminem takes a knee as Dr. Dre plays Tupac’s I ain’t mad at cha on the piano. Here’s when I lost it.”
Another Eminem fan captured the moment in a photo.
As for the NFL, they deny claims that they forbade Eminem from kneeling at the big show.
Spokesman Brian McCarthy said, “We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that.”
You can watch the entire halftime show here.
Why did Eminem take a knee during the Super Bowl halftime show?
The Detroit-born rapper took a knee after performing Lose Yourself at Sunday’s Pepsi Super Bowl LVI halftime Show. Some people asked why Eminem took a knee during the Super Bowl halftime show.
It seems Eminem made the gesture in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee as a silent protest against racism and police brutality. Many NFL players followed suit during the 2016 NFL season. Kaepernick became a free agent in March 2017 and has not played in the NFL since his silent protest.
The gesture became divisive, as some claimed it was disrespectful to the United States. Proponents of taking a knee say they mean no disrespect to the United States.
Eminem was nervous for the Super Bowl halftime performance
Despite being one of the most famous and celebrated rappers worldwide, Eminem expressed nerves before the big show.
Eminem called into Sway in the Morning, a SiriusXM show on his channel, Shade 45. The rapper said, “I’mma tell you, it’s f—ing nerve-wracking. It’s f—ing nerve-wracking. This to me… there’s nothing more final than live TV. So, if you f— up, your f— up is there forever.”
Luckily for Eminem, he did not mess up at all!