This year the NFL has made it known that they have a serious issue with race relations within its' business and that has hurt relations that they have had with its' consumers and fan base. The Colin Kaepernick movement with kneeling against police brutality was turned into a whirlwind of political rhetoric that turned into a talk about a man kneeling showing an unpatriotic spirit that is disrespectful to the country when that was never the case at all. To be continued.
Then the NFL teamed with Jay-Z and the conversation was to move pass the the Kaepernick situation and move towards the next chapter of moving towards healing the combative sides of Pro kneeling and Anti Kaepernick that led to more urban halftime shows and the NFL stating that the Black National Anthem would play before games to acknowledge they are pledging to help heal with its' "Black Players and Coaches", to show there will be a working relationship to build positive long lasting unions between the league, them and the fans. Erase Racism was painted in the end zones and the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice, was never played not even during the Super Bowl. I guess that olive branch dried up and never fully blossomed. Yet the NFL failed once again in the healing it promised.
The Rooney rule was created so "minority" coaches and executives could get a fair chance to interview and obtain jobs in the NFL. After the 2021-2022 season Brain Flores was fired from his head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins, for peculiar reasons and considered the top coaching candidate. It comes to pass that Bill Belichick allegedly had inside information from the NY Giants office that made him text the wrong Brian to having heard he had the job and instead of the Brian he text being Flores, he text Brian Daboll instead, Race of the coaches is an issue I guess, but the real issue is the timing of the hire and the news when according to the Rooney rule 2 outside candidates had to be interviewed and Brian Flores said he did not interview yet, and received the text that opened up a lawsuit that can cause another martyr in this modern NFL era. Kaepernick has not quarterbacked in the NFL to this point if ever again, and now Brian Flores may never coach in the NFL again. All this while a High school coach that was a former NFL player was considered for a Head Coaching job and not given it to what seems as a save face hiring of "minortiy" coach by the Houston Texans. Now you may say what does this have to do with the halftime show?
The answer is Hip-Hop has always been the representation of the inner city or "minorty" voice that entertained the word through our pain and struggle. Fighting police brutality, unfair wages and hiring practices, has been a mantra in what is deemed as unfair social practices and civil rights violations in the United States of America since the colonizing of this land. So when when Hip-Hop was given its' chance to take the stage not only did the legends come to perform the message was sent that we will entertain and leave a mark on the stage you, America, will never forget.
Dr. Dre brought the soul of West Coast Hip-Hop and music innovation out with his sound while Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blidge Eminem, suprise guest 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar gave us the music we long for. While people will remember the feeling of music, 50 Cent's girth or how beautiful Mary J. Blidge looked. Kendrick Snoop and Eminem gave us the Hip-Hop feeling of saying F the system and be yourself, that the National Football League hoped did not happen. With rumors of Snoop being told not to crip walk or throw his set on the main stage he did just that to tell censorship F You he is who he is and he represents for his people. Kendrick Lamar was dressed as a King and Diplomat and performed his classic song Alright as if to tell the world we gone be good with you or without you cause we are Hip-Hop and God's heritage. Lastly Eminem was told not to kneel but showed agreement with Colin Kaepernick by kneeling and causing uproar in the NFL community and cheers for the people that are effected by the abuse of authority of those that are called to protect and serve. By kneeling Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, George Floyd, The Freedom Riders and so many more people are remembered and Hip-Hop made that happen.
As we move forward from the halftime show the conversation has moved from how good the show was to how dare they and what will the NFL do. Well, if the NFL does not fix it's problems with prejudice, racism, and unfair hiring practices the narrative may never change and while other genres of music does not have the guts and or heart to take a stand to show their stance on important issues that effect the communities that are used to create the number of athletes and student's looking for an opportunity to do more, than Hip-Hop will always be there to voice it's displeasure with the system and to show the world where it stands for/against it. I salute the halftime show for being great and salute the people in the performance for not only a great show but showing who we are and what we do. We ARE the salt of the eat that gives it flavor. We are also the voice of the underrepresented on the field, executive offices and ownership positions also. He ware God's people. If our culture is Hip-Hop then God's Heritage is Hip-Hop and we will be here...FOREVER
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