While the Super Bowl halftime show is both high-profile and controversial, Cardi B is getting her own storm after reportedly turning the opportunity down.
According to reports, the Bronx rapper turned down the slot to play ‘Girls Like You’ with headliners Maroon 5 because she was holding out for a bigger fee. But Cardi B's rep has denied asking for $1 million in order to perform at the halftime show, according to Page Six.
Instead, reports say the ‘Money’ rapper will not be performing in solidarity with exiled American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has not been re-signed to the National Football League since kneeling during the U.S. national anthem prior to games in a protest against racial injustice. The event sparked a national protest movement against systematic oppression in the country.
According to Rolling Stone, Cardi B said that she wouldn’t perform at the Super Bowl until “they hire Colin Kaepernick back.”
“There was never a firm offer to begin with for a performance,” Cardi B’s rep told Page Six. “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 . . . 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.”
Other artists, like Rihanna, have boycotted the Super Bowl over the NFL’s treatment of players who kneel during the national anthem. The 2019 Super Bowl takes place in Atlanta on February 3, 2019.
Cardi B released the long-awaited video for new single ‘Money’ on December 22. Watch it below.