Jay-Z Defends Bad Bunny Amid MAGA Super Bowl Backlash

BY Caroline Fisher 1083 Views
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Jay-Z Defends Bad Bunny Hip Hop News
Bad Bunny looks towards the fans on stage during his “Most Wanted Tour” at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, May 11, 2024. Stephanie Amador / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Bad Bunny's upcoming Super Bowl halftime show has sparked a great deal of backlash from conservative commentators and politicians.

In September, it was officially revealed that Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show in February. Almost immediately, the news sparked a major debate. While some can't wait to see the Puerto Rican performer grace the stage, others are less than impressed with the selection. This includes several conservative commentators and politicians, and even President Donald Trump himself.

"I've never heard of him," he claimed during a Newsmax interview earlier this month. "I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy. [...] I think it’s absolutely ridiculous."

A Change.org petition has even been started to replace Bad Bunny with George Strait at the Super Bowl, and it's garnered a whopping 95K signatures. The petition points out the hitmaker's “drag performances and style," calling it “the opposite of what families expect on football’s biggest stage.”

Fortunately, it looks like Jay-Z has zero regrets about the decision. TMZ recently caught up with the Roc Nation founder in New York City, where they inquired about all of the outrage surrounding the upcoming halftime show. The mogul made it clear that he couldn't care less. “They love him, don’t let them fool you,” he stated simply.

Bad Bunny Super Bowl

Jay-Z's response to the backlash comes just a few weeks after Bad Bunny addressed it himself during his monologue on Saturday Night Live. "You might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl halftime show and I’m very happy. I think everyone is happy about it, even Fox News," he joked. “I’m really excited to be doing the Super Bowl. I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy."

Bad Bunny proceeded to switch to Spanish, speaking to his community directly.

“Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors,” he continued. “It’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”

About The Author
Caroline Fisher is a News Writer at HotNewHipHop from Chicago, Illinois. She started at HNHH this year, and has since spent her time writing about all that is newsworthy in the world of hip-hop. With a drive for hunting down the hottest stories, she enjoys documenting new developments in culture and entertainment. She also has an appreciation for hip-hop and seeks to cover the most important trends and shifts. She has a Bachelor of Arts which she received at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having graduated in 2022, she majored in English with a concentration in Media, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies. Specializing all things music, pop culture and entertainment, some of her favorite musical artists include Snoop Dogg, OutKast, and Nicki Minaj. When she’s not writing about music she’s also a fan of attending shows, watching the latest movies, staying up-to-date with current events, photography, and poetry.

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