Super Bowl LVI is just days away, which means Hip-Hop and R&B heads are that much closer to seeing Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar take the stage during halftime with their historic performance.
With the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul also preparing for the release of her 14th studio album, Good Morning Gorgeous, she is juggling a press run that has shed light on some very interesting facts. First, in an interview with Elle, Blige admitted that she can only perform one song at the Big Game, due to the entire halftime set being only 12 minutes long, and shared that her 2001 Dr. Dre-produced classic, “Family Affair” is her top choice since Hip-Hop is a “family affair” of sorts.
“We are the culture; [hip-hop artists] give people a way to speak. We give people a way to walk. We give people a way to talk. We give people a way to think. That’s what hip-hop and hip-hop soul have done for our culture since [the beginning],” expressed Blige.
She also confirmed that while Super Bowl halftime performances are unpaid, the opportunity is once-in-a-lifetime. “Listen, you’re gonna be paid for the rest of your life off of this,” she joked during an interview with The Cruz Show. “People are gonna be knocking at your doors. They don’t have to pay me, but if they was paying it’d be a lot of money.”
Teasing the historic set on Good Morning America, the New York City native revealed, “I watched the rehearsals—tryna see each person’s performance. I got goosebumps watching it. Just know that, it’s some history, man. It’s a celebration how far, you know, Hip-Hop has come, how far R&B has come, how far, you know, music and our culture [has come].”
Speaking of teasers, it’s been rumored that 50 Cent may join Dre during his set. A since-deleted Twitter video showed “In Da Club” being rehearsed with a live band at the SoFi Stadium, which led fans to draw their own conclusions. However, neither party has confirmed or denied the rumor. Ice Cube is another rapper people hope may be a surprise guest.
Either way, after Sunday, Los Angles will never be the same. Watch the official trailer for the Super Bowl LVI Halftime performance below.