Eminem Wants to Kneel During Super Bowl Halftime Show, Report Claims

Eminem reportedly wanted to kneel during his Super Bowl LVI halftime show spot, but the NFL stopped him from doing so. The league reportedly made sure that Eminem and his fellow rappers Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, and Kendrick Lamar wouldn't do anything too controversial to make sure their 12-minute hits marathon can appeal to the widest possible audience. Dre also reportedly had a "back and forth" with league officials over the lyrics to some of his biggest hits.

The revelations about the half-time show come from Puck News journalist Eriq Gardner. Sources told Gardner Dre put up most of the $7 million budget himself and even bought an extra SoFi Stadium box for his friends. However, that money didn't mean he didn't have to worry about the NFL watching over his shoulder. Sources said the league combed through Dre's lyrics not just to pick out curse words, but to also make sure the show doesn't become a flashpoint in culture wars. The NFL told Dre during rehearsals they didn't like his song "Still D.R.E.," which includes the line "Still f— with the beats, still not loving police." At one point, the NFL told Dre not to include that line at all, but sources told Gardner that Dre was now optimistic the line could be included.

The league also "nixed" Eminem's plan to kneel, which could be seen as a reference to Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback who kneeled during the National Anthem in the 2016 season to protest racial injustice and police brutality. Organizers also wanted to make sure Snoop Dogg didn't wear anything that could appear to be gang-related. An NFL spokesperson did not respond to Gardner when asked about the limits halftime show performers face.

Since the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, when Justin Timberlake exposed part of Janet Jackson's breast, the NFL has planned the halftime shows to appeal to the widest possible audience to avoid controversies. Since 2004, the biggest controversial moment at a halftime show came in 2012, when M.I.A. raised her middle finger while performing "Give Me All Your Luvin" alongside Madonna. The league went hard after her, suing her for $16.6 million. Over two years after the show, the league and M.I.A. reached a confidential settlement, and the terms have never leaked.

Eminem, who certainly has never been shy about letting his feelings be known, has not commented on Gardner's report. During an appearance on SiriusXM's Sway in the Morning last week, he admitted to being very nervous about his first Super Bowl halftime performance. "I'mma tell you, it's f—ing nerve-wracking. It's f—ing nerve-wracking," he said. "This to me... there's nothing more final than live TV. So, if you f— up, your f— up is there forever."

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