Mary J. Blige: Super Bowl Halftime Show Made Black People the Night’s ‘Epicenter’

Mary J. Blige said Friday on ABC’s “The View” that this year’s Super Bowl halftime show made black people the “epicenter” of the night.

Co-host Sunny Hostin said, “I dance to you basically every morning. But this performance was so important for so many reasons. My generation grew up with this music. I mean, I was sweating in my living room dancing to you. It was also a significant cultural moment because, as we have discussed on this show many times, the NFL and I think has a significant problem with race. But the halftime show for many people was a showcase of hip-hop, rap, black artistry. Eminem took a knee. What did it feel like to play such a huge role in that moment?”

Blige said, “It was one of the most important roles and accomplishments in my career. We have come so far. Hip-hop has come so far. African — you know — black people have come so far. To have us the epicenter, the front line of such a huge, huge moment. Words can’t express how grateful I am to Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine for calling me to be a part of that … Because if I didn’t get a call from them, I wouldn’t have been there. So it was extremely important to all our careers, I believe.”

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