Super Bowl 56 halftime shows off hip hop with Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop, Dre, Kendrick Lamar

It wasn't a clash of the hip-hop titans, but a formidable alliance storming the Super Bowl halftime stage.

From Mary J. Blige's confirmation as one of music's undisputed queens ("Family Affair") to Eminem's loquacious rumblings ("Lose Yourself"), rap arrived at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium in potent fashion Sunday night.

The rest of this all-star cast – California natives Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and the emperor among them, Dr. Dre – rolled through liquid rhymes ("California Love," "Still D.R.E.") with cool precision.

Snoop, wearing a patterned blue outfit, kicked it off with Dr. Dre for "The Next Episode" as they stood atop a set of white buildings, an array of dancers sprawled below.

This already-loaded lineup didn't need any guests, so the surprise inclusion of 50 Cent to drop "In Da Club" was cool, but unnecessary.

While it was a bit disconcerting seeing the halftime show performed in daylight, this team of pros still brought the drama – notably Blige, on her own "No More Drama," which included a feral scream as she strode in her thigh-high white boots and ended the song flat on her back.

Lamar spat "Alright" alongside a cadre of dancers with Dre sashes, while Eminem scurried back and forth, hoodie pulled up, alongside a live band – including Anderson .Paak on drums – while Blige and 50 Cent nodded to the music from a nearby couch.

While it was a bit disconcerting seeing the halftime show performed in daylight, this team of pros still brought the drama – notably Blige, on her own "No More Drama," which included a feral scream as she strode in her thigh-high white boots and ended the song flat on her back.

Lamar spat "Alright" alongside a cadre of dancers with Dre sashes, while Eminem scurried back and forth, hoodie pulled up, alongside a live band – including Anderson .Paak on drums – while Blige and 50 Cent nodded to the music from a nearby couch.

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The legacy of this lineup runs deep: The headliners boast a collective 44 Grammys (15 for Eminem, 13 for Lamar, nine for Blige and seven for Dr. Dre; Snoop Dogg has been nominated more than a dozen times, but has never won).

Blige, 51, just released her 15th studio album, “Good Morning Gorgeous,” a sassy offering packed with features from Anderson .Paak, Dave East, Usher and others.

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Eminem, 49, is among the top fan vote-getters for this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions and made the cut in his first year of eligibility.

With two diamond-certified albums on his resume – “The Marshall Mathers LP” (2000) and “The Eminem Show” (2002) each surpassed sales of 10 million – and a stash of hits, Eminem landed on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

In November, Snoop Dogg, 50, released the 25-song compilation record “Snoop Dogg Presents Algorithm.” The collection features collaborations with artists including Usher, Ice Cube and his Super Bowl comrade Blige.

The week ahead of the Super Bowl, news broke that the “Gin and Juice” star was being sued by a former backup dancer alleging sexual assault by Snoop Dogg and one of his associates.

A little more than a year ago, Dr. Dre was rushed to the hospital after suffering an aneurysm. But the mighty founder of Death Row Records – which, in a karmic twist, was just purchased by Snoop Dogg, whose career started with the label – has remained busy.

The former N.W.A. member, who turns 57 on Feb. 18, recently unveiled six new songs from “Grand Theft Auto Online: The Contract” on his YouTube page and announced in December that he and Floetry singer Marsha Ambrosius have finished an album called “Casablanco.”

And Lamar, a notoriously mysterious artist, is testing fans’ patience waiting for the follow-up to 2017’s multi-platinum “Damn” album – though he did reemerge last year for “Family Ties,” a song with Baby Keem on the younger rapper’s album.

The anticipation for the next album from the 34-year-old Compton native is especially strong since he announced in August that it will be his last for Top Dawg Entertainment, the label he’s been with since his 2011 debut, “Section.80.”

Contributing: Bryan Alexander

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eminem, Snoop, Dre and Mary J. Blige star in Super Bowl 56 halftime