Super Bowl LVI halftime show thrusts Compton, Long Beach on the world stage
COMPTON, Calif. - The Compton community is still buzzing with excitement from Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show at SoFi Stadium on Monday.
Not only were the Los Angeles Rams victorious, but legendary rappers, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar had shouted out Compton and Long Beach to an enthralled worldwide audience. Through stage design, the rappers who grew up in Southern California shined a spotlight on local landmarks like Tam’s Burgers #21 and Dale’s Donuts in Compton.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Tam's Burgers No. 21 in Compton featured in Super Bowl halftime show
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The marquees of those two businesses were prominently displayed. A third one, a club named Eve After Dark was also featured on stage. Turns out it was here where a young Dr. Dre began his musical career, as a deejay.
Finding Eve after Dark wasn’t that easy. The address was still visible. But locals told us the club closed in 2019. We were told a vegan restaurant now operated out of the space.
And then along comes Paul "Roscoe" Bernard. Bernard saw the halftime show from his Compton home, a place he’s lived his whole life.
When the marquee for a club called Eve After Dark appeared on the halftime show set— Bernard began to shake with emotion. His phone was flooded with texts from friends and neighbors asking him, "Are you watching this?"
The club was his late father’s labor of love. Roscoe said it was the only place in this area for musicians to be seen and heard. He was so moved by Dr. Dre’s decision to recognize the club and his late father, he choked back tears.
"I only wish my father were alive to see what Dr. Dre did during the halftime show. It was his way of saying — this is where I got my start," Bernard said.
Agreed. The communities of Compton and the LCB are going to remember this Valentine’s Day for a very long time.
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