Some social media and some sites tried to create a ruckus by claiming that the NFL had no idea that Eminem would make a political statement by taking a knee a la Colin Kaepernick during the Super Bowl halftime show.
But according to Dr. Dre, “Em taking a knee that was Em doing that on his own. And there was no problem with that.”
In fact, since NFL execs had watched the rehearsals all week, they weren’t taken by surprise.
In a statement to CNN Sunday, the NFL said they had no issue with the rapper kneeling.
“We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that,” the statement read. “A player or coach could have taken a knee and there would have been no repercussions so there was no reason to tell an artist she or he could not do so.”
Eminem was showing support for NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s act of protest against police brutality and racial discrimination. It was a brave and much-needed move on the part of the rapper.