Dr Dre also disobeyed instruction from the league
Eminem defied the NFL’s instruction by taking the knee, during the half-time show at Super Bowl LVI on Sunday night.
The rapper was part of a star-studded line up, alongside Los Angeles born icons Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar.
Reports ahead of the match has suggested the league had requested that Eminem did not take the knee – an anti-racist gesture made popular by former quarter-back Colin Kaepernick.
Eminem takes a knee.
The league told him not to, he did it anyway. pic.twitter.com/zoaYrGgCLn
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 14, 2022
And it wasn’t just Eminem who disobeyed the suits at the league’s headquarters during the performance. Reportedly, they had requested some lyrics – that involved anti-police sentiment – be censored.
Kendrick Lamar towed the line by omitting his “and we hate po-po” line from his performance of To Pimp a Butterfly single Alright, but lead performer Dr Dre was not so obedient.
While performing Still D.R.E alongside Snoop Dogg, the 56-year-old made sure the line ‘still not loving police’ was heard by everyone in the SoFi Stadium.
The NFL would not allow Eminem to kneel "Colin Kaepernick-style" during tonight's halftime show, per @eriqgardner.
The league also asked Dr. Dre to remove his lyric on "still not loving police" in his 1999 hit, 'Still Dre'. pic.twitter.com/QqY08trEuR
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 14, 2022
While the NFL might have been annoyed by these forms of protest, the show went down a storm with viewers in the stadium and at home worldwide, with many – who presumably haven’t seen Prince’s show – calling it the greatest half-time show in Super Bowl history.
Dr Dre and Snoop started off the Super Bowl Halftime show! pic.twitter.com/3aaHfGzX2h
— Dallas Cowboys Collaboration (@mailman_phil) February 14, 2022
