Super Bowl 56 Halftime Show Promises To Showcase SoCal's Hip-Hop Scene
INGLEWOOD (CBSLA/AP) — Snoop. Dre. Eminem. Mary J. Blige. And Kendrick Lamar.
Five hip-hop legends, 43 Grammys, 22 number one albums. And a halftime show unlike anything the NFL has seen before.
"This is what hip-hop and the NFL is supposed to be about: representing change, about moving forward," said Snoop Dogg during a moderated appearance made Thursday at the Convention Center downtown. "We appreciate the NFL for even entertaining hip-hop because we know a lot of people didn't want hip-hop on stage but we're here now, and there ain't nothing you can do about it."
Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg vowed that their Super Bowl halftime show would create more opportunities for the genre.
"It's crazy that it took all of this time for us to be recognized," Dre said. "I think we're going to do a fantastic job. We're going to do it so big that they can't deny us anymore in the future."
And as all eyes focus on SoFi Stadium, the Pepsi Super Bowl 56 halftime show promises to show the world exactly what Southern California's hip-hop scene is all about.
Dre, Snoop Dogg and Lamar are Southern California natives. Snoop Dogg called it a "great moment" that combined "the biggest sporting event in the world" with hip-hop, "the biggest form of music in the world."
"All these are experts in entertainment so I'm just excited to see what they come up with to entertain the fans," said Larrance Dopson, the co-founder of 1500 Sound Academy, a recording studio and trailblazing educational institution for sound creators.
1500 Sound Academy has worked with the biggest names in the industry and its founders are excited that the world's focus is on Inglewood.
"I think the sound of Inglewood is, you know, kind of, it is made by people who are trying to feel good and want you to feel good," said co-founder James Fauntleroy.
But for Dopson, the Super Bowl means community.
"To me, it means community and a time that everyone can come together and have great time and fellowship and be together and enjoy ourselves," he said. "We've been going through so much with the pandemic. I think this is a great time for us to just celebrate life."
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