Black History Month celebrates Black people and their stories, both triumphant and traumatic, which led to the North America that exists today.
For many, February marks an opportunity to remember and educate themselves on their community’s history.
One aspect of Black History is the creation of hip-hop. Rap is a way of expression and one that Black artists were the first to tap into.
Hip-hop has become a large part of Black culture, especially in the United States.
During the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday, Black rappers, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Dr. Dre took the stage alongside white rapper, Eminem.
It was the first time hip-hop had been the headlining genre.
Dr. Dre said in a press conference before the show that they are “Making sure the NFL understands that this is what it should have been a long time ago.”
During one song, Eminem got down on one knee to pay tribute to Black rights activist Colin Kaepernick.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ8JlZ1NhET/
Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, began kneeling during the national anthem in an act of protest against racialized police brutality and racial inequality.
It was reported by Puck News that the NFL knew about Emenem’s kneel prior to the performance but disapproved of it.
However, Mike Freeman, a reporter for USA Today, tweeted that an NFL spokesperson said they knew about the kneel and did not try to stop it from happening.
The part of the show were Eminem kneeled? Report stated it was against the wishes of the NFL.
However, NFL spokesman Brian McCarhy told me that report is false. The NFL watched every rehearsal this week and that element was included.
Just passing along.— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) February 14, 2022
The show took place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, only 10 miles northwest of Compton, the Los Angeles community that Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar call home.
Compton is notorious for being a dangerous city with their crime rate being 1.7 times higher than the national average in 2019 according to Crime Data.
Yet, Compton has remained an important landmark in African-American culture.
Many Black people who have become household names came out of Compton including hip-hop group N.W.A. and tennis champions, Venus and Serena Williams.
The main stage was also set up in homage to Compton, depicting several recognizable landmarks of the community including a nightclub, a burger joint, and a Martin Luther King memorial.
Below the main stage, dozens of back-up dancers performed choreography influenced by Black culture with a large map of Compton depicted underfoot.
For many, the city represents Black resilience and the ability of Black excellence to come from places where the odds are stacked against them.
On Twitter, Lebron James called it the greatest halftime show he has ever seen and many Regina residents agree.
Susan de Vries, a Regina woman, named it the “best halftime show ever.”
Others were not sold on it taking the top spot.
Brennan Dwyer of Regina offered his opinion stating, “Prince is still and will forever be the gold standard for Halftime Shows, but [last night’s] was pretty great.”
Some said Eminem’s tribute to Kaepernick and the Black representation was what made it so great, while others enjoyed listening to the throwback hits.
“The Kap tribute seals it,” said Colin Hall, a Regina resident. “Best halftime show of all time.”
Kip Simon, a man who attended high school in Regina said the ‘90s hip-hop made him reminisce about the feeling of driving his “93 Mazda Precidia on Albert Street with the windows down and the system up.”
