Posted by Eminem is set to perform at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show alongside fellow Hip Hop and R&B luminaries Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige in Los Angeles on February 13, 2022.
The all-star lineup, which appears to have been assembled by JAY-Z in his role as an NFL consultant, sent fans into a frenzy when it was announced last month — but not everybody is excited about Eminem’s inclusion.
During a recent episode of her See, The Thing Is… podcast, R&B singer Bridget Kelly threw all kinds of shade at Slim Shady, saying she “could do without” the Detroit rapper at the Super Bowl before labeling him “the token white guy.”
“I love the idea of so much beautiful Black talent on this stage,” she began. “This is the biggest stage in the country. This is the most-watched event.”
Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg & Mary J. Blige’s Super Bowl Has Fans Berserk
After Kelly’s co-host Mandii B reminded her that Eminem is also on the Super Bowl lineup, she said, “Either way, I would love to see it because when are we ever gonna see Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar onstage together? I could do without Eminem. I don’t really care whether he’s there or not.”
“Do you know what I do love about Eminem being the token white guy on this? Usually it’s the other way around,” the “Special Delivery” singer continued. “Usually it’s a whole fucking lineup of white talent and then it’s like, let’s just throw a person of color in there so people don’t get upset. Let’s not ruffle feathers.
“That’s what this feels like. This was like, let’s get all this top-tier Black talent and let’s throw somebody white on the bill just so we don’t piss anybody off.”
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Needless to say, Bridget Kelly’s comments didn’t sit well with Eminem fans, who bombarded her Twitter mentions as her quotes made the rounds on social media.
“Please you can’t even sniff the same air as @Eminem & where’s your #NFL #SuperBowl halftime show appearance?” one Em fan retorted, while another wrote, “He’s literally DRE’s biggest artist. The only reason Ems even doing this is because of DR. DRE not to be a token white person.”
Please ? you can't even sniff the same air as @Eminem & where's your #NFL #SuperBowl halftime show appearance?
— Ally (@ThtGuy4rmLA) October 15, 2021
How is he a “token in this case”. He’s literally DRE’s biggest artist. The only reason Ems even doing this is because of DR. DRE not to be a token white person. And didn’t The Weeknd Perform at the superbowl just THIS YEAR by himself. He ain’t all black? TF is she talking about pic.twitter.com/QZx1g1sdvq
— Thatdude340pm (@thatdude340pm) October 15, 2021
Bridget Kelly later took to Twitter to defend herself against the horde of angry Eminem fans, while making it clear that she didn’t refute his status as a “legend.”
“You bum ass bottom feeders need to get tf out my mentions defending Eminem,” she tweeted on Thursday. “Nobody said he wasn’t a legend. They’ve never had an all Black halftime show, so yes, he is the token in this case. Go argue w/your mother about his impact, that was never up for debate. Losers.”
You bum ass bottom feeders need to get tf out my mentions defending Eminem. Nobody said he wasn’t a legend. They’ve never had an all Black halftime show, so yes, he is the token in this case. Go argue w/your mother about his impact, that was never up for debate. Losers?
— Bridget Kelly (@IamBridgetKelly) October 14, 2021
Unsurprisingly, the social media-averse Eminem has yet to respond to the fracas. Instead, he’s been busy in the studio lately. The 8 Mile megastar teamed up with Polo G, Mozzy and Skylar Grey on the Venom 2 soundtrack cut, “Last One Standing,” and appears to have a collaboration with Snoop Dogg on the way.
Both songs add fuel to the fire of rumors suggesting Eminem is readying a new album — potentially, a third installment in his iconic Marshall Mathers LP series.