Why was the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show important to the Black Community?
By: Persja Moore and Eji Abah
The 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show stands out as a performance of a lifetime, allowing black people to reclaim rap music as their own again. Not only that but the first time that rap and hip hop has been the main genres of the halftime show. The show featured Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dog, Kendrick Lamar, and Dr. Dre with surprise appearances from 50 Cent and Anderson Paak from Silk Sonic. So this performance not only broke stigmas but even made history.
The Stigma
Since its emergence in the 1970s, rap music has been one of the most heavily stigmatized genres in the music industry. One of the reasons that rap is due to a misunderstanding of the lyrics. People believe rap is only lyrics about drugs, alcohol, sex, and violence–but they don’t think about why. Audiences forget the disparities black people have faced, leading to more explicit lifestyles to adapt to society. However, as someone who does not frequently listen to rap or hip hop, I think the opinions on rap at face value are full of crap for several reasons.
First of all, all genres have songs that include raunchy lyrics. For example, Katy Perry sings about “sex on the beach” and “daisy dukes, bikinis on top” in her song California Girls (which has been performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show before, by the way), and I have yet to hear anyone complain about that. Despite this, rap is demonized when not all rap lyrics are raunchy or inappropriate, although some of the songs performed at this Super Bowl did have raunchy lyrics. Notably, m.A.A.d City by Kendrick Lamar featured lyrics, “In fact, I got fired ’cause I was inspired by all my friends”. Another included, “he went from nothin’ to lots, ten carrots to rock” from “I Ain’t Mad at Cha” performed by Dr. Dre, which serves as a form of motivation and affirmations.
A Lil Bit of History
Raunchy or not, Rap and Hip Hop have a rich history which has led them to be one of the genres that the black community feels the most connected to. Some scholars, such as Piotr Majewski, predict that hip hop was birthed by a group known as “The Last Poets” who would recite words to reiterate the message of the black community through slogans from black separatists and nationalists. However, others predict that hip hop and rap came from NYC block parties in the 70s, in which MCs would rhyme or talk over the beats that DJs would produce as a way to entertain block party guests.
According to Majewski, the 1979 release of the Sugar Hill Gang album Rapper’s Delight led to rap music attracting record companies and becoming popularized. However, Rap became controversial three years later after the release of “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The lyrical content attracted a youth demographic from all ethnicities, resulting in the stigmatization of rap as an “attack on American values”. Thus, the revolution against rap music throughout the 80s and 90s. In action, record companies refrained from selling rap albums and censored rap songs on the radio. Additionally, police had orders to monitor rap shows and concerts.
Why Does This Matter?
What made the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance so significant is not just the fact that it is the first time that rap and hip hop has been the sole genre for a Super Bowl halftime show. It was also the first time the black community could claim performance as their own. Rap and Hip Hop is not just a bunch of violent nonsense, it was and is a movement that was the start of uplifting the black community in the late 20th century after segregation. Despite all of the attempts to censor and stigmatize it, rap and hip hop have continued to thrive. It is proudly a staple for the black community. Seeing rap and hip hop represented not only in the NFL, but the Super Bowl Halftime Show, one of the most-watched performance opportunities in the country, is a step towards progress for not only the stigmatized genre but ultimately the black community.
