By Ricky Riley
After the NFL announced that Jennifer Lopez and Shakira would be this year’s Super Bowl halftime performers, rapper Uncle Luke launched a campaign to get the league to consider local Miami artists instead.
The famed Miami rapper published a video on Instagram last week laying out his grievances and his disappointment with the two. According to the Miami Herald, Luke, whose real name is Luther Campbell, urged Jay-Z to intervene and do right by the scores of Miami-based artists left off of the halftime performers’ shortlist.
He went on to suggest that the two women were not connected to Miami and therefore should be replaced entirely.
“We got world-class entertainment here, I done thought you had sense to get Pitbull, Flo-Rida, [Rick] Ross, or somebody… Trick Daddy or something,” he continued. “We don’t need the NFL. Our hotels are already full, you need us. JAY-Z you gotta fix this s**t, I’m just gonna keep it 100.”
Just a few weeks ago, Jay-Z announced a racial justice initiative with the league. The announcement was met with criticism, but the former 2 Live Crew member referenced the partnership hoping Jay-Z could lend a hand.
Luke also said Jay is being used by the league.
“[The NFL is] basically showing that, ‘Aye look, let me go get a token black guy, throw him out there, say we’re dealing with systemic racism and say we’re having him involved with the entertainment,'” he said. “It specifically said that Jay-Z would be involved with the systemic racism and the entertainment. Right now, that’s an F.”
He also felt Jay should use his position to advocate for a more diverse line-up.
“If they did this and you were at the table… then JAY-Z should have put in his resignation at that point,” Luke toldTMZ. “If he does not resign or they don’t make this right then [the NFL] is actually using him.”
The artists mentioned are some of the most popular, chart-topping entertainers on the charts. While Jennifer Lopez may have a hit, Oscar-caliber film out in Hustlers, she is still relatively less popular than the artists Luke suggested.
Due to the popularity of Love and Hip Hop: Miami, Trick Daddy and Trina have seen a resurgence on the pop culture landscape. Luke’s suggestion may not be farfetched at all considering the popularity of the series. Although the video is short and to the point, he also penned an essay for the Miami New Times further urging Jay-Z to act.
“Pitbull, AKA Mr. Worldwide, along with Flo Rida and Rick Ross, should really be the headliners of this halftime show,” he wrote. “J. Lo and Shakira should be Pitbull’s invited guests since he did songs with them. And Flo Rida should be inviting Trick Daddy, Trina, and other Miami superstars to share the spotlight. The NFL is going about this a**-backward.”
In all likelihood, the NFL could change their course of action before February’s big match-up.
