Michael B. Jordan has joined the chorus of stars asking Travis Scott not to perform in the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show.
Scott is rumored to be taking a spot alongside Maroon 5 at the halftime show for Super Bowl LIII next year. Many major acts have already turned the job down in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick and other NFL protesters, and many stars are urging Scott to do the same. On Saturday, TMZ reporters caught up with Jordan, and he said the same.
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“Man, that is something that I’m not that happy about,” Jordan said of Scott’s rumored performance. “Hopefully it’s a rumor. I mean, I haven’t seen that much on it besides the headlines and the clickbait and all that good stuff, but hopefully it doesn’t work out.”
The cameraman asked Jordan whether or not Scott should consider the gig for the sake of diversity. As he pointed out, the NFL has been accused of a lack of diversity in halftime performers as well, so this latest controversy has the league caught between a rock and hard place. To Jordan, supporting Kaepernick took priority in this case.
“Yeah, but we’re still trying to stand behind something right now,” he said. “We all collectively got to try to do that. Hopefully, like I said, it’s not true.”
Jordan is not the only one calling on Scott to decline the job. Actress and model Karrueche Tran also urged the rapper to back out of the gig, as did Reverend Al Sharpton. Sharpton’s remarks in particular condemned Scott.
“I think anyone that goes into the halftime show is in offense, directly violating those that want to raise the question that the NFL should come to terms with what they have done and continue to do to Colin Kaepernick and those that protest on the criminal justice issue,” he said.
Last week, Jay-Z had a similar take when speaking to CNN’s Van Jones.
“Look how many people play football,” he said. “They’re not all going to be him. Like, he just put his name next to Muhammad Ali. Would you rather be playing football getting your head dinged in, or would you rather be an iconic figure for the rest of your life? We confuse the idea of having a job with fulfilling your purpose.”
Kaepernick was fired from the NFL after his silent protest of police violence against black teenagers, where he knelt during the national anthem. Scott has come out in support of Kaepernick in his verse on the song “Hunch Jack.”
“Take a knee like the ‘Niners (Kaepernick),” he rapped. “Join the team, don’t divide us (join them).”
Many feel that taking a job with the league that fired and condemned Kaepernick would represent a huge case of hypocrisy.
