The sound was dropped out a number of times during the collective’s performance, which drew the ire of fans watching at home. On Twitter and Facebook, viewers posted about their confusion, thinking technical difficulties were to blame. The issue continued as blogs and Web sites, most notably New York magazine, questioned the censorship.

A spokesman for CBS, however, said the rappers were free to perform within a certain parameter that each entertainer had to abide by. CBS’ Chris Ender praised the MCs’ showmanship but said the explicit material made it difficult to broadcast without some degree of censoring.

“It was a rousing musical performance, but words were edited from the live telecast that didn’t meet our broadcast standards,” Ender explained, according to The Associated Press. “We have great respect for artists’ creative freedom, but there are certain things you can’t say, or sing, on television.”

According to a number of reports, the “Forever” performance was more audible during the tape-delayed broadcast on the West Coast. Many have also noted that the artists themselves actually censored their lyrics and either replaced them with clean words or pauses. It’s a difficult position for CBS to be in, though, considering Wayne and Eminem chose to perform a song that many have yet to hear — “Drop the World,” from Weezy’s upcoming Rebirth album — which includes a significant amount of profanity.