Travis Scott, Big Boi to join Maroon 5 on Super Bowl Halftime show

Jan 13, 2019

[griojw id=”MZIYALGp” playerid=”GqX43ZoG”]

As the NFL’s final four has finally come into view, so too has the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.

The lineup for the performance was formally announced on Sunday and will feature Maroon 5 along with Travis Scott and Atlanta native Big Boi, one half of the iconic hip-hop duo Outkast. The game will be played at Mercedes Benz Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Falcons.

The performance was the source of a ton of controversy as numerous high-profile artists, including Rihanna, Adele, Jay-Z, Pink, and Cardi B – turned down the slot in solidarity with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls out CBS for not having Black Journalists on their presidential coverage—

Maroon 5 were confirmed to play the Super Bowl halftime show in September but along with the Kaepernick outcry, the NFL – which organizes the Halftime shows – was heavily criticized for leaving out Atlanta talent.

Big Boi confirmed he was in on Twitter on Sunday:

#SBLIII ATL let’s get it ! pic.twitter.com/L7LUk2MV5e

— Big Boi (@BigBoi) January 13, 2019

Just before official announcement, Billboard reported that Scott required the NFL to make a joint donation of $500,000 to Dream Corps, an organization fighting for social justice in order for him to move forward with the appearance. News of Scott’s being on the halftime show was initially met anger with from Michael B. Jordan, the Rev. Al Sharpton and others.

Kaepernick, who nearly won Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 with the San Francisco 49ers, has been blackballed from the league since the end of the 2016 season due to his kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 in protest of racial inequality and police violence.

—In his DNA: Famed scientist stripped of honors after repeated racist remarks about Black Intelligence—

Kaepernick has since filed a grievance against the league and its owners last fall for colluding against him.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said in 2016. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.