Some of the biggest names in hip-hop will take over SoFi Stadium during halftime of Sunday's Super Bowl in Inglewood for a show that performer and genre icon Dr. Dre said Thursday has been a long time coming.
"This should have happened a long time ago as far as hip-hop,'' Dre told reporters in a pre-Super Bowl news conference.
"Hip-hop is the biggest genre of music on the planet right now. So it's crazy that it took all of this and all of this time for us to be recognized. So I think we're going to go on and do a fantastic show and we're going to do it so big that they can't deny us anymore in the future.''
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Dre will be joined in Sunday's halftime show by fellow Compton native Kendrick Lamar and Long Beach denizen Snoop Dogg, along with Mary J. Blige and Eminem.
"I'm not trying to be egotistical or anything like that, but who else could do this show here in L.A.?'' Dre said. "Who else could perform that halftime show other than these amazing artists that we put together for this thing?''
Snoop Dogg said performing at the Super Bowl is an experience in itself, but to do it in Inglewood makes it more memorable.
"I had people that I know that worked on the stadium that the city of Inglewood gave opportunities to people to actually be part of creating the stadium,'' he said. "So knowing that the stadium was built and the Super Bowl is going to be here, and that we have an opportunity to perform on stage, this is a blessing.
"Because the Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event in the world and hip-hop is the biggest form of music in the world. So for us to have the opportunity to bring the two worlds together -- we've got the queen of R&B, we've got the king of hip-hop, we've got just all of his proteges in the place. This is what it's about.''
Snoop Dogg echoed Dre's comments about hip-hop being overdue for the Super Bowl spotlight.
"We appreciate the NFL for even entertaining hip-hop because we know a lot of people didn't want hip-hop on stage,'' he said, adding with a smile, "We here now and there ain't nothing you can do about it.''
Dre said fans can expect a powerful display by all five performers, saying the show will send a message about the power of the genre. And he said it will pave the way for future hip-hop artists to reach the same stage.
"We're going to keep pushing,'' he said. "We're going to open more doors for hip-hop artists in the future, and making sure the NFL understands that this is what should have been a long time ago. We're going to show exactly how professional we can be, how dope we can be on stage and how exciting we're going to be to the fans. We're going to let you know what it is.''
