By Michael Haag | Sports Writer
Let’s be honest: We all watch the Super Bowl. Whether you are rooting for a team or the commercials, it’s safe to say everyone will be tuning in when that big Sunday comes around. In the case of most sporting events we watch on TV, it’s common sense to take your eyes off the television when halftime comes around. It’s a great chance to use the restroom, grab a bite to eat or just give your eyes a break. However, when Super Bowl Sunday arrives, the halftime show is worth sticking around for.
The performances have varied over the years — some being legendary and others being a total meme. When the halftime lineup for Super Bowl 56 was announced, I was shocked in the best way possible. There has never been a rapper to headline the event, and quite frankly, this is long overdue. More importantly, they executed to include lyrical geniuses like Kendrick Lamar and Eminem. This year has potential to be an all-time best, and I think the group will put on a great show.
After giving the trailer a watch, you can’t tell me you aren’t hyped. Each artist brings a unique approach and flow to the genre that will surely compliment the others when the big day comes.
Snoop Dogg gives you timeless excellence — something that is so hard to accomplish over a long period of time. He has remained relevant for decades and can change with the times and appeal to all sorts of different people. Consider him the jack-of-all-trades rapper out of the bunch.
Dr. Dre is another legend, no doubt. If you aren’t sure who this is (somehow), just listen to the first 30 seconds of “Still D.R.E.” and I promise you have heard it. As a producer, he has also influenced so many careers, with Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg being some of them. He is sure to be a major factor in taking the show to another level.
One word can describe Mary J. Blige accurately: queen. She is definitely the most slept-on artist in the lineup, but don’t let her go under the radar. Be on the lookout for the eight-time Grammy award winner; she won’t disappoint.
Eminem could probably freestyle for an hour straight, and I wouldn’t be surprised. The man has proven to everyone he will go down as one of the best to ever do it. I don’t think even fans of Eminem know what he is about to showcase at the Super Bowl, but I bet we hear some rapping at supersonic speed.
When you think lyrical genius, you think Kendrick Lamar. The only nonclassical or non-blues artist to ever win the Pulitzer Prize, he is out of ordinary. The discography speaks for itself; this guy can rap with the best of them. Lamar ends the list of absolute studs in what looks to be an otherworldly halftime performance.
Surely this group of artists won’t become a meme, right? Man, I surely hope they don’t give ammo to the internet trolls. I, for one, applaud the decision to orchestrate an R&B and rap roster and expect a performance for the ages because the genre needs this. I fully anticipate Super Bowl 56 not only to be an outstanding game but also to have one of the best halftime shows we have ever seen.
