The Super Bowl halftime show with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar had an unexpected star Sunday: a stage design that went to impressive lengths to highlight landmarks in South L.A.
Locals were thrilled to see a marquee of the legendary Compton dance club Eve After Dark, where the DNA of Dre’s sound first gathered steam before turning into G-Funk.
Tam’s Burgers No. 21 on West Rosecrans Avenue got lovingly represented, as did the giant doughnut sign of Dale’s in Compton. The sweeping panels of the Martin Luther King memorial in Compton bookended one side of the stage.
Locations like these have long figured into the lore of L.A. hip-hop. But as the area gentrifies — driven, in a major way, by the opening of SoFi Stadium — there’s concern that the city, as remembered through its classic rap lyrics, is disappearing. For its residents and rap fans, these landmarks remain a connection to musical history.
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