Dr. Dre Talks Eminem Taking A Knee, NFL Telling Kendrick Lamar To Take Out Gang References

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Dr. Dre
The Aftermath icon also discussed how "everybody really felt the magnitude of what this thing was and what we were gonna be able to accomplish."

The chaos of the Super Bowl and its halftime show has subsided and now, Dr. Dre is sitting down to give his take on the performance that stunned Hip Hop and R&B fans worldwide. He was joined by Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar as they relived some of our favorite tracks, but the show was not without its controversy. There were murmurs that Eminem defied the NFL by taking a knee after his portion, but the league issued a statement saying they knew ahead of time that the Detroit icon would follow Colin Kaepernick's lead.

During a casual chat with TMZ, Dre confirmed that the NFL was already aware of Eminem's plans while also detailing the "minor" changes that the league requested.

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"There were a few things we had to change but it was like, really minor things," he told the outlet. "Em taking a knee, that was Em doing that on his own and there was no problem with that. I think the beginning of Kendrick's set, he says 'If Pirus and Crips all got along,' they had a problem with that, so we had to take that out. No big deal, we did it, but all in all, everybody came in, we were professional, everybody was on time and everybody really felt the magnitude of what this thing was and what we were gonna be able to accomplish."

"It was a fantastic experience." Dre revealed that once the halftime show was over, Blige met him back at his home where they went into the studio and listened to some new music she was working on. He then offered a public apology to the singer because he wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a secret.

Dr. Dre also joked that his trainer would be upset with him because on the way home from the Super Bowl he decided to stop by McDonald's. "There's something about those fries," he quipped. Check it out below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.