For weeks, Maroon 5 found it quite difficult to find another act to perform alongside them at the Super Bowl as many musicians took a stand against the league for blackballing Colin Kaepernick, following a season where he kneeled during the National Anthem to bring attention to police brutality and racial inequality.
The NFL recently announced the lineup for the Super Bowl LIII halftime show and it included Travis Scott and Atlanta’s own Big Boi from Outkast.
It turns out the NFL had to do something first before Houston-born rapper Travis Scott would even agree to it.
Via Billboard:
A source close to the negotiations has now confirmed to Billboard that Scott required the NFL to make a joint donation to an organization fighting for social justice in order for him to move forward with the event.
Scott made a $500,000 donation in partnership with the NFL to “social justice accelerator” Dream Corps, an organization founded by Van Jones in 2014, and will work with the NFL on additional initiatives.
“I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in,” Scott said in a statement. “I know being an artist that it’s in my power to inspire. So before confirming the Super Bowl Halftime performance, I made sure to partner with the NFL on this important donation. I am proud to support Dream Corps and the work they do that will hopefully inspire and promote change.”
Now, that’s how you use your platform to do something great, especially when you have leverage.
