Super Bowl LII just went down last weekend, but some big names are already looking forward to next year’s game — and more specifically next year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
You see, Super Bowl LIII will be held in Atlanta, and Bruno Mars and Jay Ajayi are among the masses clamoring for a performance that celebrates the city’s rich hip-hop history.
Ajayi, the Eagles’ starting running back, appeared Friday on ESPN’s NFL Live to “challenge” the league to arrange “some good halftime performances from some good hip-hop artists.”
Ajayi’s comments came a few days after Mars (himself a two-time Super Bowl halftime performer) tweeted an offer to curate a halftime show including OutKast, T.I., Gucci Mane, Lil Jeezy and Jermaine Dupri.
. @NFL you have the opportunity to celebrate incredible Hip Hop Artist from Atlanta Next year.
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) February 5, 2018
. @NFL Outkast. T.I Gucci, lil jon, Jeezy, Jermaine Dupri just to name a few. it would be the best party Tv has ever seen!
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) February 5, 2018
. @NFL Shit I just wanna help curate that show, and I’ll only charge like a billion😂
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) February 5, 2018
. @NFL all jokes aside please lets make that happen
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) February 5, 2018
OutKast would be the halftime holy grail for the NFL, a massively popular group that 1.) is famously from Atlanta, 2.) has huge credibility in the rap world, 3.) also enjoys pop appeal with big songs like “Hey Ya,” “Miss Jackson” and “Roses,” 4.) would be less controversial than rougher-around-the-edges acts such as, say, Migos.
In fact, OutKast makes so much sense as a Super Bowl halftime act that the NFL has reportedly attempted to get the duo for the gig before. However, Andre 3000 scuttled those plans because, at least in Big Boi’s telling, he wouldn’t perform anything but full songs. Maybe he would loosen that restriction to play the show in his hometown, but there’s no saying for sure.
Let’s start the push now to get OutKast to headline the halftime show for Super Bowl LIII here in Atlanta. Who’s with me?!?!?
— Matt Chernoff (@RealMattlanta) February 5, 2018
The Super Bowl is in Atlanta next year? You already know who needs to do the halftime show. pic.twitter.com/KOYL9ijiXX
— Charles J. Moore (@charles270) February 5, 2018
The Super Bowl halftime show in Atlanta next year has to be Outkast. Has to be, right?
— Andy Demetra (@AndyDemetra) February 5, 2018
Who should perform the Super Bowl 53 halftime show in Atlanta next year? 🤔
— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) February 6, 2018
And of course, if OutKast said no, the NFL would have plenty of other Atlanta-based options, from Ludacris to 2 Chainz. There’s really no reason a hip-hop halftime show shouldn’t happen next year.
The NFL has periodically let rappers take the stage at the Super Bowl halftime show before, from Nelly to Missy Elliott to Nicki Minaj, but the only hip-hop act ever to headline the performance was the aggressively pop-friendly Black-Eyed Peas — and that wasn’t a choice any rap fan was caught celebrating.
Of course, given that this is the NFL we’re talking about, halftime organizers will probably hear calls for a rapper and wind up with Pitbull or something. But in the meantime, we might as well get our hopes up.
