Eminem delivered a memorable performance during the 2022 Pepsi Halftime Show by taking a knee at the end of it. The statement seemingly paid tribute to former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick who, as a player had kneeled in protest of police brutality and racial injustice against Black Americans.
According to league spokesman Brian McCarthy, the NFL was aware that Eminem was going to kneel because he had made the gesture during rehearsals, The New York Times reported. The gesture came after Eminem finished performing his 8 Mile anthem “Lose Yourself.”
Kicking off the halftime show, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre delivered a medley of “The Next Episode” and Tupac’s “California Love” at California’s SoFi Stadium. Then, 50 Cent surprised the audience with a performance of his Dre co-produced hit, “In Da Club,” while mimicking the upside-down pose that he took in the original music video. A group of dancers joined 50 Cent in a makeshift club scene before the camera panned to Mary J. Blige who delivered a bouncy performance of the Dre-produced “Family Affair” before transitioning into the slow-burning “No More Drama.”
Next up, Kendrick Lamar took the stage to perform “Alright” and an intro of “m.A.A.d city” surrounded by Black men in “Dre Day” sashes.
To close out the show, Dre and Snoop reappeared onstage for “Still D.R.E” and were joined by the other halftime performers of the evening.
The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, which took place in the Los Angeles area for the first time in 30 years, was produced by Jay-Z and was the first-ever halftime set that was focused on hip hop. The Bengals and Rams game brought together L.A. hip hop icons Snoop, Dre and Lamar for their Big Game debut. Also joining the trio were Blige and Dre’s longtime collaborator Eminem.
Ahead of the performance, Dre said in a statement that performing at the halftime show would be “one of the biggest thrills of my career.” He added, “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.” Jay-Z added that their performances would be “history in the making.”
This is the third year Roc Nation has produced the Super Bowl Halftime Show. In 2021, The Weeknd performed, while Shakira and Jennifer Lopez co-headlined in 2020 during a performance that also featured Bad Bunny and J Balvin.
Watch the full 2022 halftime show here.
The estate of Prince has shared a previously unheard recording of “With This Tear,” a track the late icon originally wrote before passing it on to Celine Dion in the early 1990s.
The newly revealed version, released through NPG Records and Legacy Recordings, presents Prince’s own recording of the piano driven ballad, fully written, produced and performed by him. It was initially recorded at Paisley Park in November 1991 and had stayed in the vault until now.
Dion’s interpretation of “With This Tear” was included on her 1992 self titled album, highlighting one of many moments where Prince created songs for other artists while holding back his own versions. His original recording feels more minimal, putting the focus on his vocals and piano arrangement.
The newly issued version has been given an updated mix by Grammy nominated producer Chris James, who has worked on several Prince related releases before. This drop is part of the Prince Estate’s ongoing effort to open up more of his deep archive of unreleased music.
The release arrives at a meaningful moment, just ahead of the 10th anniversary of Prince’s passing. Since 2016, a consistent flow of archival material including deluxe reissues, vault recordings and rare collaborations has kept his legacy active in today’s music landscape while offering a closer look at how much he created.
“With This Tear” also highlights Prince’s long established role as a songwriter for others. Across his career, he wrote and produced tracks for a wide range of artists, often shaping songs that evolved into entirely new identities outside his own discography.
The release comes amid growing attention around Prince’s archive in recent years. In 2024, a demo of “Baby Doll,” an unreleased collaboration between Prince and Kylie Minogue, surfaced online and showed just how much material still remains unheard.
While there has been no official confirmation of a larger vault project, reports continue to suggest that more archival releases could be on the way.
