Cardi B is reportedly refusing to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2019 alongside Maroon 5 despite her No. 1 single with the band, “Girls Like You.” The rapper has been asked multiple times to join the pop band, but is “standing tough and holding out,” a source close to Cardi said, according to Page Six .
“She doesn’t want to do it unless they roll out the red carpet for her,” the source explained.
Additionally, it was rumored that the “Bodak Yellow” rapper has asked for up to $1 million for the performance, as well as a solo spot in the show. Monetary payment is not usually offered to artists in the halftime show, but rather a “gift in kind” from the NFL that covers the necessary expenses like wardrobe, transportation, and production.
Friends of Cardi are attributing her high demands to her support of Colin Kaepernick and the Take a Knee movement. Kaepernick, a former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, started the movement to protest racial injustice.
In February this year, Cardi said that if the NFL should ever ask her to perform a halftime show, she would insist that they must “hire Colin Kaepernick back” first, CNN reported. The rapper has also written numerous tweets stating that the former NFL star should be rehired.
A rep for Cardi stated that the rumors about her monetary demands are false, but the rapper does stand with Kaepernick.
Hey @iamcardib : We know you support Kaepernick. Please say you won’t perform at the halftime show with Maroon 5 until the NFL does right by Kaepernick and all players who #TakeAKnee . https://t.co/U0AsmUoZLm
— Kevin Johnson (@KevinJo94994505) December 21, 2018
“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,” they said. “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.”
The NFL has not yet confirmed Maroon 5’s involvement in the halftime show, but rapper Travis Scott was said to have agreed to perform with the band at the February 5 show in Atlanta. Scott has since been hit with backlash for the decision, and a number of other artists behind Kaepernick are urging the “Sicko Mode” rapper to back out.
Meek Mill has expressed his concerns on Twitter for Scott’s involvement in the performance, according to Variety . When the rumors initially circulated that Scott would join Maroon 5, Mill tweeted “For what?”
The “Dangerous” rapper went on to indirectly tell Scott that he doesn’t need the Super Bowl performance under his belt and to “stay strong in this s***.”
