News

BEP + Eminem + Super Bowl = FT?

8:45 a.m. · February 7, 2011 · by Dan Nishimoto

At this point it’s Johnny Comelately to sing hip-hop’s praises and talk about how the culture has “arrived.” If anything, it’s probably more useful to count all the times hip-hop has “arrived” in its 30-plus year existence.

So chalk up last night’s Super Bowl XLV as yet another signpost in the mainstreaming of hip-hop (and let’s not forget dance) culture. Black Eyed Peas, the group that rhymed about “Fallin’ Up” on its debut over a decade ago, gave a halftime performance aimed straight at the heart of the masses. It combined Olympian excess, that mazel tov song, the group’s other wedding/life event hits, a cameo by Slash and an Axl Rose impersonator and, of course, a Dirty Dancing nod. Whether you were a 14-year old last night or a 14-year old 14 years ago, there was something for you. And Eminem shilled for not one, but two American product pastimes: cars and drinks (ok, iced tea). As if 8 Mile and Funny People were not enough to satisfy his acting interests, the rapper hit both the comic and dramatic angles. Talk about covering the bases. Through hip-hop both BEP and Eminem secured lucrative positions in a national spectacle.

I’m not going to get into credibility or quality. Though ArtsBeat has an amusing collection of Twitter responses to the halftime show. And what is the history of Chrysler’s relationship with the city of Detroit? Has Chrysler held it down for the D? Roger & Me covers the extent of my exposure to Detroit and the automotive industry, but that film was about GM.

There was plenty of other music-related news at this year’s sporting extravaganza. Christina Aguilera caught flack for a lyric flub. And Brooklyn Vegan has a more comprehensive overview of this year’s music-related commercials, including that bizarre Bieber-Ozzy spot. Feel free to comment below.