Eminem Takes Knee During Super Bowl LVI Halftime Performance

The halftime show, which was co-produced by Roc Nation, also saw Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, and 50 Cent hit the stage. Los Angeles-born singer Jhené Aiko performed “America the Beautiful” alongside a harpist while country music artist Mickey Guyton performed the National Anthem at the game.

In a recently published interview with the Los Angeles Times, Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez recalled the company entering into a partnership with the league on the heels of the NFL facing criticism over the situation with Colin Kaepernick.

“And it was a difficult decision for us,” Perez said. “They were being accused of all these terrible things that we stand against. We had to say, ‘Wow, they’re being boycotted by artists.’ … But we obviously decided for going after what we feel is right and what we think we can do to make change. Let’s say for a second that this was a cynical move by the NFL—they just wanted to use us. OK. As long as we can go in and do things they would not normally do—if we can reach people that we normally wouldn’t reach with a message—then that for us is success.”

Kaepernick, who is 34, last played in the NFL all the way back in 2016 when he was with the San Francisco 49ers. It was also in that year that he kneeled during the National Anthem in protest of police brutality and the oppression of Black people. In other news, it was recently announced that Spike Lee will be directing an ESPN Films documentary that will focus on Kaepernick.