Fans Can't Stop Talking About The Shoutout To Tupac At The Super Bowl Halftime Show
Dr. Dre was not kidding when he said that he and other rap royalty would give it their all during the Super Bowl LVI halftime show.
During the press conference on February 10, the "The Next Episode" rapper said that the congregation of hip-hop legends on the Super Bowl's stage had been a long time coming. "This should've happened a long time ago. Hip-hop is the biggest genre of music on the planet right now, so it's crazy that it took all of this time for us to be recognized," he said, per The Hollywood Reporter. "I think we're going to go on and do a fantastic show and we're going to do it so big that they can't deny us any more in the future."
And a fantastic show they did, as millions of fans tuned in to the halftime program, where Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar dominated the stadium. Each of them performed a selection of their greatest hits, and Dr. Dre even offered a subtle tribute to another hip-hop god, the one and only Tupac.
Fans felt Tupac's presence at Super Bowl LVI thanks to Dr. Dre
While Tupac didn't have a hologram at the Super Bowl like he did during Dr. Dre's Coachella set in 2012, the Beats by Dre founder still found a way to pay tribute to the hip-hop legend. Apart from performing "California Love" with Snoop Dogg, the rapper also played Tupac's "I Ain't Mad At Cha" on the piano.
Fans found this subtle tribute touching. "Am I the only one that lowkey teared up when Dre played I ain't mad atcha on the piano? almost thought Tupac was gonna come out," a fan tweeted. "I truly appreciated the 'I Ain't Mad At Cha' keys before Dre played the 'Still Dre' intro.... Great 2Pac tribute," tweeted another. "If you didn't get goosebumps in the part where Dr. Dre played the piano with a surprise nod to Tupac, then bye," another fan said.
Elsewhere in the set, 50 Cent performed "In Da Club," Mary J. Blige took everyone on a trip down memory lane with "Family Affair" and "No More Drama," Eminem had people rapping to "Lose Yourself," and Kendrick Lamar did a passionate performance of "Alright." As Dr. Dre said during the press conference, the halftime show was indeed "f****** incredible!"