It's official — Travis Scott will be joining Maroon 5 for their Super Bowl LIII halftime show. However, the Astroworld rapper didn't come to the decision lightly.
Following news of Travis' Super Bowl performance, he announced that he agreed to take the SB stage under one condition: The NFL make a $500,000 donation to the charity of his choice. "I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in. I know being an artist that it's in my power to inspire. So before confirming the Super Bowl Halftime performance, I made sure to partner with the NFL on this important donation," the "SICKO MODE" rapper explained in a statement. "I am proud to support Dream Corps. (an organization "founded by Van Jones in 2014 to help cutting-edge initiatives grow big enough to impact millions of lives") and the work they do that will hopefully inspire and promote change."
Last month, when rumors began to circulate about Travis' involvement in Super Bowl LIII, the rapper faced major backlash for his decision to perform, given the on-going NFL boycott sparked by Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protests. Many people felt that by Travis agreeing to perform, he was overlooking the NFL's alleged blackballing of the former San Francisco 49er quarterback, who spearheaded the kneeling movement in protest of police brutality and racial injustice. There were even reports that Jay-Z attempted to talk Travis out of performing the show because of that very reason.
As previously reported, multiple artists turned down the Super Bowl LIII headlining gig before it was awarded to Maroon 5. One of the biggest names was Rihanna, who reportedly declined the offer to headline the Super Bowl LIII halftime show because she also supports Kaepernick. "The NFL and CBS really wanted Rihanna to be next year’s performer in Atlanta," an insider told Us Weekly in October. "They offered it to her, but she said no because of the kneeling controversy. She doesn’t agree with the NFL’s stance."
Also joining Maroon 5 and Travis Scott for SB LIII is OutKast rapper Big Boi.
Super Bowl LIII will air live from Atlanta, Georgia February 3 on CBS.
Photo: Getty Images