The Super Bowl half-time show has become something of a tricky proposition in recent times, thanks to the NFL‘s handling of protests by Colin Kaepernick and others, and it looks like Cardi B has joined the list of high profile musicians who are giving it a pass.
Maroon 5 and Travis Scott are currently booked in to provide half-time entertainment at the game, and Cardi seemed like an obvious choice to join them, given that she features on Maroon 5’s current hit ‘Girls Like You‘, and is a pretty huge star in her own right.
Per reports in the New York Post‘s Page Six, however, it seems she’s rejected invitations to join the band. It’s unclear, however, whether this move is for political or financial reasons, or perhaps a mix of both. A source close to the rapper said:
“Cardi B is standing tough and holding out. She doesn’t want to do it unless they roll out the red carpet for her.”
She has reportedly demanded a fee of $1 million to appear at the event, which goes against Super Bowl tradition, as performers are not typically paid, but instead, have their production, wardrobe and travel expenses covered for free by the NFL.
An official rep has denied that money is the motivator, however, telling the Post:
“The rumor circulating that she wants a million dollars and she wants her own set is false. There was never a firm offer to begin with for a performance. There [were] talks about it, but she was not particularly interested in participating because of how she feels about Colin Kaepernick and the whole movement … But again, there was never a solid offer for her to say yes or no to regarding the Super Bowl. She is already confirmed to do a set with Bruno Mars that weekend.”
So there you have it, folks, that’s one less artist who’ll be performing at the Super Bowl. Travis Scott himself has faced pressure from Jay-Z to step down from his slot over the NFL’s stance on Kaepernick, so we’ll see how that one plays out.
