Ice Cube’s Son Says Prince Put on the Greatest Super Bowl Halftime Show Ever. Is He Right?
The Super Bowl Halftime Show stage has hosted some legendary musicians. In the decades-old American pastime, a number of greats have headlined the 12-15 minute intermission of the Super Bowl Championship game, from Gloria Estefan in 1992 to Aerosmith and NSYNC in 2001 to Bruce Springsteen in 2009 to Dr. Dre’s Emmy-winning performance in 2022.
Given all the acts that have performed, you would think it would be hard to narrow down which of them had the greatest show in history. Well, Ice Cube’s son, actor O'Shea Jackson Jr., took to X (formerly Twitter) to proclaim that the greatest Halftime performance was delivered by none other than “The Purple One” aka Prince.
Why O’Shea Jackson Jr. Believes Prince’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Is the Greatest Ever?
In a post accompanied by a video of Prince walking across the stage singing “Purple Rain” in the actual rain, Jackson stated:
“In 40 years, it had never rained during the Super Bowl. On the day of 41st the heavens opened up and poured down hard. Because everything on the stage were live instruments and the stage floor was slick with water for he and his dancers, they asked Prince what did he want to do about the performance.
“Prince replied, ‘Can you make it rain harder?’ Long live Prince. The greatest halftime performance in Super Bowl history.”
In 40 years, it had never rained during the Super Bowl. On the day of 41st the heavens opened up and poured down hard.
— O’Shea Jackson Jr (@OsheaJacksonJr) January 28, 2026
Because everything on the stage were live instruments and the stage floor was slick with water for he and his dancers, they asked Prince what did he want to do… https://t.co/5o1cjiTvar pic.twitter.com/TMH7glgdcW
Other Contenders for the Greatest Super Bowl Halftime Show Ever?
I can’t lie, Prince performing “Purple Rain” in the rain is pretty iconic. Obviously, humans can’t manipulate the weather, but the pure coincidence made for a must-watch performance. Additionally, because he’s Prince, with a legendary catalog of music and unmatched talent for playing instruments, his Halftime Show performance is certainly among the best. However, I can think of a few other contenders for the title.
Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
Given he holds the distinct honor of having the most-watched Halftime Show in history, we have to talk about Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 performance. Not only did he have the hardest working man in Hollywood, Samuel L. Jackson, narrating his show, but he also had the GOAT of Tennis, Serena Williams, dancing. Plus, Lamar performed the most celebrated rap diss track of all time, “Not Like Us.” It’s also worth pointing out that his entire show was well-thought-out and designed.
Coldplay featuring Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, and Mark Ronson
Coldplay is a Grammy-winning rock band with lots of hit songs under their belt. But as good as their setlist was in 2016, it was Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson jamming out to “Uptown Funk” and Beyoncé leading a militia of dancers across the field to “Formation” that really got viewers excited. Then, when Mars and Beyoncé had their epic danceoff, they created a historic moment. Makes me wonder why Mars and Beyoncé haven’t teamed up again for an actual song and video.
Usher featuring Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., will.i.am, Lil Jon and Ludacris
In 2024, Usher reminded the world that he's a living legend. He performed hit after hit, on skates I might add, and there was never a dull moment. He made sure the whole country knew what Atlanta was about, and his capping off his performance with the mega-hit “Yeah!” deserves a chef’s kiss.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s name being mentioned among the great Halftime Show performances is a no-brainer. He’s the King of Pop, and very much lived up to his nickname in 1993. To be honest, he’s the type of entertainer that was born for the Super Bowl stage.