U2, Kendrick Lamar to Open Grammys With Dave Chappelle

Details are beginning to leak about the star-studded performance line-up at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, including the opening segment with U2, Kendrick Lamar, and, according to some rumors, Dave Chappelle.

The show is mired in secrecy, as producers want to preserve the surprise and spontaneity of the event. However, compiling a series of reports from multiple sources provides a hazy idea of what the big event might look like.

U2 will kick things off with a pre-recorded segment, filmed on a barge in The Hudson River, according to a report by Crains New York. Variety corroborated the report with another source, who added that the show will then cut to the band live on stage, where they’ll be joined by Kendrick Lamar.

U2’s latest album, Songs of Experience, released on Dec. 1, had a song featuring Lamar, titled “Get Out of Your Own Way.” It’s assumed that’s the song they’ll be playing when they take the stage at Madison Square Garden.

Dave Chappelle may also take part in the performance, according to a report by E! News. The comedian was announced as a presenter earlier this week, but representatives of the Grammy Awards won’t confirm his involvement in the opening performance.

Lamar is nominated in seven categories for his 2017 album “DAMN.,” which featured U2 on a song, “XXX.” The rapper’s music tends to tackle many of the same themes as the comedy of Chappelle, who made a big comeback in the entertainment industry this year.

The comedian famously dropped into obscurity for several years, touring infrequently and avoiding high profile events. In 2017, he made four stand-up specials for Netflix, all extremely topical, rekindling interest in his frank, cynical perspective. Chappelle and Lamar make a good match, as the comedian has a history of working and socializing with rappers, especially thoughtful, lyrically intricate rappers like Lamar.

More rumors are also surfacing as to whether the Grammys will tackle the Me Too movement in the same way that other award shows have this season. Stars more or less turned the Golden Globes into an unofficial drive for the Time’s Up campaign following the massive shake-ups in Hollywood in the past few months. Producers of the Grammys say it won’t be an official part of their show, though last week, an executive producer named Ken Ehrlich told Variety it would likely come up.

“I don’t want to go into it, but I suspect over the course of the night it will be addressed,” he said.

Many are starting to assume it will come up in Kesha‘s performance, who has become a beacon for the Me Too movement for her lawsuit against her former collaborator and alleged rapist, Dr. Luke.

The Grammys begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS.