With his recent Super Bowl halftime show performance, American rapper Eminem has re-ignited the controversy regarding taking the knee which is seen as a protest against police brutality and racism in the US (Image: Twitter)
In an apparent tribute to NFL (National Football League) player Colin Kaepernick, Eminem took the knee during Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show
With his recent Super Bowl halftime show performance, American rapper Eminem has re-ignited the controversy regarding taking the knee which is seen as a protest against police brutality and racism in the US. In an apparent tribute to NFL (National Football League) player Colin Kaepernick, Eminem took the knee during Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show. However, it has been reported that the NFL has denied that it attempted to stop Eminem from kneeling during his performance.
The much-anticipated sporting event of the US took place at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and the halftime show was headlined by notable hip-hop artists Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J Blige, Eminem and 50 Cent. It was during his performance of Lose Yourself that Eminem took a knee and held his head in his hand in apparent tribute to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick, who took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality during the 2016 season. Soon after Kaepernick’s protest, other players followed suit and the move created widespread cultural controversy in the US.
The NFL received criticism of its handling of the matter since Kaepernick has not played in the league since the end of the 2016 season. It is speculated that the African-American player was blackballed by the league’s teams and owners over his political expression.
When I saw Eminem kneel during #SuperBowl HalfTime show I thought he was bowing to the hip hop and rap gods he shared the set with. Then I got that his homage was for Colin Kaepernick because Black Lives Matter. And apparently it still is a controversial stance. pic.twitter.com/rHXCee8Q9M— Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) February 14, 2022
The NFL has been criticised for preventing its players from taking a political stance in the past. Hence, the recent reports that allege the organisation tried to prevent Eminem from taking the knee have only made the accusations more apparent.
According to The New York Post, an NFL spokesperson said that players have been taking knees since 2016 without sanctions, so musical talent would not be held to a different standard. In a statement to The New York Times, Brian McCarthy, an NFL official said that the organisers were aware the rapper would take a knee because officials watched it during rehearsals.
