Dr Dre led a crew of all star rappers at a nostalgic Super Bowl half time show, which threw back to their community hip-hop roots.
NWA co-founder Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar teamed up for the event which also saw a surprise appearance from 50 Cent.
The 56th running of the NFL's showpiece event took place in the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with home team the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Cincinnati Bengals.
The show was also a home event for Lamar, Dre and his protégé Snoop, all of whom are from Southern California.
The pair kicked off the show with a rendition of their collaborative song The Next Episode, performed on top of a white community housing set complete with low rider cars.
A performance of west coast rap anthem California Love followed, with Dre singing the lyrics to the song by the late Tupac Shakur, another of his rap disciples, while scores of dancers performed in front of the stage.
In an unexpected twist, rapper 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, appeared hanging upside down before joining the party with a performance of his hit song In Da Club.
SUPERBOWL LVI 🏆https://t.co/jnbpt4Vpb3 pic.twitter.com/EJ0iEtmTbJ
— 50cent (@50cent) February 14, 2022
R&B queen Mary J Blige followed, showing off her incredible vocal range as she performed on top of the set roofs alongside slickly choreographed dancers in sparkling one piece costumes.
Lamar followed with his own crowd of dancers dressed in all black suits, wearing sashes reading "Dre Day".
Finally, Eminem appeared and treated crowds in the 70,000 capacity stadium to a rendition of Lose Yourself.
Happy Dre Day !! @drdre @snoopdogg @maryjblige @kendricklamar @50cent @AndersonPaak 🙏🙏🙏 @NFL #SBLVI #PepsiHalftime https://t.co/PR3WJxVDaK pic.twitter.com/3b7Vdq2zNJ
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) February 14, 2022
He appeared to give a nod to former NFL player Colin Kaepernick when he took a knee following his performance, bowing his head while the show continued.
After Sunday's game, an NFL spokesman denied reports that the league had told Eminem he couldn't take the knee.
Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, received worldwide attention in 2016 for kneeling during the national anthem to protest against police brutality and racial injustice.
The crew reassembled on the roof for a final performance of Still Dre.
The Super Bowl, one of the biggest cultural events in the US, featured the usual Hollywood star power, with blockbuster film trailers and celebrity-filled adverts appearing during the many commercial breaks.
A 30-second slot at this year’s Super Bowl reportedly cost about $7 million (€6.2 million).
This year’s offering saw Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd team up for a humorous crisps advert, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek become Greek Gods to sell BMWs, and original cast members of The Sopranos recreate their famous opening credits for Chevrolet.
Mike Myers also reprised his role as dastardly comic villain Dr Evil for an Austin Powers themed sketch to promote electric vehicles.
The Super Bowl was opened by actor Dwayne Johnson, who channelled his former pro-wrestler persona The Rock to welcome the world to the game.
Source: Press Association
