Eminem Takes A Knee, 50 Cent Hangs Upside Down During Surprise Performance At Super Bowl 2022 Halftime Show (Video)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — 50 Cent made a surprise upside-down entrance at the Super Bowl halftime show & Eminem dramatically took a knee.

The show brought about as much hip-hop as a stadium can hold, with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem & Kendrick Lamar spitting a fiery medley of their hits.

As his rendition of “Lose Yourself” ended, Eminem took a knee & held his head in his hand in apparent tribute to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality during the 2016 season. Other players followed suit & the move created widespread cultural controversy. Kaepernick would be out of the league soon after.

The NFL denied reports that it was attempting to stop Eminem from making the gesture.

“We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week & were aware that Eminem was going to do that,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

It was a rare Super Bowl halftime show performed in the daylight, but it still had a feeling of a nightclub at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, with a set made up to look like the houses of nearby Compton & South LA.

Dre and Snoop opened the show with “Next Episode” & “California Love.”

50 Cent, not among the announced performers, started his “In Da Club” while hanging upside inside one of the rooms.

Blige was decked out in silver sparkles & surrounded by backup dancers as she sang a medley of her hits.

An explosion of fireworks lit up the sky as the sun set outside & the show ended, with Snoop & Dre performing “Still DRE.”

#eminem #marshallmathers #eminemsuperbowl #50cent #50centsuperbowl #drdre #snoopdogg #maryjblige #kendricklamar #losangelesrams #cincinnatibengals #superbowl #superbowl2022 #superbowl56 #laramssuperbowlchamps #drdresuperbowl #snoopdoggsuperbowl #kendricklamarsuperbowl #maryjbligesuperbowl #eminemtakesaknee #colinkaepernick #nfl #football #superbowlhalftimeshow #superbowlhalftimeshow2022 #rap #hiphopmusic #rnbmusic #stilldre #nextepisode

Eminem taking a knee for Kaepernick? pic.twitter.com/T4p3vOHBUC
— The Recount (@therecount) February 14, 2022

See we came in 03 and we still here. so we celebrate each other every chance we get. @KingJames you know the vibes • https://t.co/jnbpt4Vpb3 pic.twitter.com/f4sjfM3jYO
— 50cent (@50cent) February 14, 2022