Hip hop finally had its moment at the Super Bowl Sunday night when legends Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and Eminem took to the stage for an electrifying halftime show at the So-Fi Stadium in Inglewood, California, writes TIME.

The spectacular, high-energy performance was a powerful celebration of hip hop and its evolution over the last three decades, centering on the legacy of Dr. Dre, a pioneer of West Coast rap whose outsize influence on the genre helped shape the careers of his co-headliners, especially his protege, Eminem, and fellow hometown heroes, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. It was also a fitting nod to the host city of Inglewood and the Los Angeles area.

The performance marked the first time the halftime show lineup consisted entirely of hip hop headliners—a move that some saw as the NFL’s bid to connect with fans and artists alike after many felt alienated by the league’s stance on Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem demonstration against police brutality and racial injustice, as well as growing tensions around race in the league.