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The star-packed lineup, also featuring R&B star
Mary J. Blige and rapper Kendrick Lamar, made hip-hop the focus
of the halftime extravaganza, a platform that draws the world's
top musical acts.
At SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles, the musicians sang a medley
of hits and traversed the roofs and interiors of a row of white
buildings assembled on the football field.
Eminem ended his hit "Lose Yourself" by kneeling and placing his
head in his hand, a gesture that former quarterback Colin
Kaepernick made during the National Anthem at NFL games as a
call for racial justice.
Kaepernick has not played since the 2016 season as no NFL team
hired him after he began kneeling.
Media outlet Puck reported earlier on Sunday that the NFL had
told Eminem not to kneel during the performance. NFL spokesman
Brian McCarthy said the report was untrue. NFL staff watched
halftime rehearsals this week and the kneeling was included at
that time, he said.
Dre and Snoop Dogg opened the show with "The Next Episode" and
"California Love." Rapper 50 Cent, an unannounced guest, began
rapping "In Da Club" while suspended from a ceiling upside down.
Wearing a sequined white outfit with thigh-high boots, Blige
performed "Family Affair" in front of a sparkling group of
backup dancers.
Before the show, Dre and Snoop Dogg said that the NFL should
have embraced rap years ago and they hoped to open doors for
more hip-hop artists. Rap musicians have appeared previously but
alongside pop and rock acts.
"THE GREATEST HALFTIME SHOW IVE EVER SEEN!!!" Los Angeles Lakers
basketball star LeBron James, who was seated in the crowd, wrote
on Twitter.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
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