Travis Scott has reportedly been tapped as the musical act to accompany Maroon 5 at the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show – but his appointment to the gig has allegedly been opposed by rap luminary Jay-Z.
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Variety reports the Astroworld gun was picked to balance out the show after a laborious search, which saw organisers struggle to combat the perception the NFL is somewhat complicit in the banishment of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Maroon 5 came under fire when reports first emerged of their selection. Fans and critics alike said the band will effectively represent a sporting league which oversaw the exile of an active player for protesting against police brutality.
Variety now reports Jay-Z is working to convince Travis to drop the agreement. That makes sense, considering his criticism of the league and its treatment of Kaepernick.
In The Carters‘ recent cut Apeshit (recorded alongside his wife Beyoncé, whose politically-charged performance cameo defined the 2016 halftime show), Jay-Z raps “I said no to the Superbowl, you need me, I don’t need you / Every night we in the endzone, tell the NFL we in stadiums too.”
Jay-Z has also hailed Kaepernick as an advocate for civil rights on similar footing to Muhammad Ali.
Travis has not yet confirmed nor denied the gig, but after this kind of alleged pressure, you’d expect him to make the call pretty bloody soon.
