Eminem Kneeled in Protest Through the 2022 Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present

This 12 months’s Tremendous Bowl had its justifiable share of explosive moments, however it additionally featured a daring assertion from Eminem. The “Lose Your self” rapper carried out his anthem music for the halftime present — which featured Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent — alongside Anderson .Paak, and through his a part of the set, Eminem took a knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter motion.

Simply earlier than the matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals went down, reviews shared that Eminem kneeling went in opposition to the NFL’s needs as they beforehand turned down his request. However NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy later denied these claims, stating the league already knew of the rapper’s protest. “We watched all components of the present throughout a number of rehearsals this week and have been conscious that Eminem was going to do this,” he stated.

Eminem kneeling throughout the recreation was a tribute to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who kneeled throughout the nationwide anthem in 2016. However the rapper’s assertion was additionally a tribute to different Black athletes who’ve stood up in opposition to injustices previously on the danger of dropping endorsements and being blackballed — together with Muhammad Ali, Wyomia Tyus, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, and others.