The search is over: Maroon 5 finally found someone who'll play with them at the Super Bowl LIII halftime gig, TMZ reports. Word emerged Sunday that Maroon 5 will headline and Travis Scott and Big Boi will perform Feb. 3 as guest artists. Seems the NFL's anthem controversy made it hard for Adam Levine's band to scoop up any side acts for the unpaid gig; a petition with over 84,000 names urged Maroon 5 to pull out, as did Amy Schumer. Scott took some heat for accepting the gig—Michael B. Jordan and Rev. Al Sharpton were among those who disapproved, per Billboard—but may have cast it in another light by requiring the NFL to join him in a donation of $500,000 to the social-justice nonprofit Dream Corps, Us Weekly reports.
"I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in," said Scott. "I know being an artist that it's in my power to inspire." While taking the gig may seem like support for NFL policies, Variety notes that Scott recently performed with rapper Quavo on the song "Huncho Jack," which refers to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick—who apparently lost his job for taking a knee during national anthems and speaking out about police behavior in minority communities. One line in the song goes, "Take a knee like the 'Niners (Kaepernick) /Join the team, don't divide us (join them)." Cardi B, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Outkast, and Nicki Minaj had been in the mix to possibly perform alongside Maroon 5. (See what LeBron James has to say about the NFL.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
