On Thursday, the National Football League (NFL) revealed the halftime headliners for upcoming Super Bowl LVI, set to take place on Feb. 13, 2022.
Iconic rapper Dr. Dre will be joined by a who’s who of rap royalty, including Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar.
The announcement makes a lot of sense, given that the 2022 Super Bowl will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. — the first L.A.-adjacent Super Bowl in three decades — with the halftime show featuring some of the architects of West Coast rap.
Earlier this year, Snoop Dogg pitched a very similar lineup during an interview.
“Hopefully the NFL will be smart and make the right decision,” he said. “I’m available, Dre’s available, Eminem’s available, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent — whoever Dr. Dre wants to pull out of his hat to make this thing a professional event and make it big and the biggest effort they can have. It’s just a matter of the NFL pulling the trigger.”
READ MORE: The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show focus of new documentary ‘The Show’
Dr. Dre issued a statement about the upcoming halftime show, which will once again be produced by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
“The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career,” said Dr. Dre. “I’m grateful to Jay-Z, Roc Nation, the NFL, and Pepsi as well as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar for joining me in what will be an unforgettable cultural moment.”
“On February 13, 2022, at the Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, California, in the new SoFi Stadium, Dr. Dre, a musical visionary from Compton, Snoop Dogg, an icon from Long Beach and Kendrick Lamar, a young musical pioneer in his own right, also from Compton, will take center field for a performance of a lifetime. They will be joined by the lyrical genius, Eminem and the timeless Queen, Mary J. Blige. This is the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. This is history in the making,” added Jay-Z.
READ MORE: Saweetie wants to perform at Super Bowl halftime show: ‘I could definitely see that in my future’
The other artists also confirmed their participation via social media.
GALLERY: 20 of the best Super Bowl halftime performances
Among the artists expected to perform (that we know of), they collectively hold 43 Grammys and 22 No. 1 albums; it promises to be quite a show.
—
— With files from Global News’ Chris Jancelewicz