The NFL announced Sunday that musical acts Maroon 5, Travis Scott and rapper Big Boi will take the stage during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
#SBLIII pic.twitter.com/dWKJQDS9ap
— Maroon 5 (@maroon5) January 13, 2019
The announcement put an end to months of speculation over who would perform during Super Bowl LIII, as the football league has caused controversy -- and allegedly alienated potential performers -- over its handling of former player Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick, who was previously a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, protested racial injustice in the U.S. by kneeling during the national anthem before football games. He has not been signed to an NFL team since 2017. Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in October of 2018, alleging that NFL team owners colluded to keep him out of the league because of his protests.
Once considered a coveted gig by major musicians, many have reportedly turned down the opportunity to perform this year.
Grammy-nominated rapper Scott only agreed to perform during this year’s halftime show if the NFL made a donation to a social justice charity, Billboard reported.
Big Boi rose to fame as one-half of the breakout hip-hop group Outkast in the late 90s.
This year’s Super Bowl will take place at the Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta on Feb. 3.
