Maroon 5, joined by Interscope Records and the NFL, are making a $500,000 donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, People reports. The announcement arrives ahead of Maroon 5’s Super Bowl LIII halftime performance, which takes place this Sunday, February 3 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Travis Scott and Big Boi will perform with Maroon 5.
All three artists’ decisions to perform at the Super Bowl have been met with backlash as the NFL is embroiled in a legal battle with quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has not played in the league since 2017. Kaepernick is fighting the NFL, which he believes is colluding against him due to his kneeling protests during the national anthem.
There have been petitions calling for Maroon 5 to drop out of the show. In addition, celebrities like Amy Schumer have urged Maroon 5 to back out of the gig. The band’s keyboardist PJ Morton defended the performance, stating, “Our job as musicians is to provide a service and make people feel good, and I think that’s going to be our mission—just to have a good time and do what we do.”
Travis Scott’s decision, in particular, has been scrutinized by the hip-hop community, with rappers like Meek Mill tweeting, “He don’t need that he on fire already! Stay strong in this shit!” In addition, according to Variety, JAY-Z “was attempting to talk [Travis Scott] out of [performing].”
Travis Scott previously revealed that he agreed to perform at the Super Bowl on the condition that the NFL joined him in making a $500,000 donation to the Dream Corps—a Van Jones-founded organization that backs social justice efforts.
