Kendrick Lamar Will Perform at Halftime for College Football Playoff

Kendrick Lamar has been named the inaugural performer at the College Football Playoff Championship, ESPN announced Tuesday.

The seven-time GRAMMY-Award winning rapper has had a great year thus far; the release of his fourth studio album DAMN., featuring songs like “Humble” and “DNA”, was certified double platinum and marked his third number one album on the Billboard 200. DAMN. sold 603,000 albums in its first week and has been nominated for both Album of the Year and Best Rap Album for the 2018 Grammys.

Now, he is the first ever halftime performer at the CFP National Championship. He will perform a medley of his hits during a free non-ticketed event at Centennial Olympic Park near Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta – the location of the game on January 8. Lamar’s performance will be integrated into halftime of ESPN’s telecast of the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T.

News: Platinum-selling, GRAMMY Award-winning artist Kendrick Lamar Named Inaugural Halftime Performer on ESPN at @CFBPlayoff National Championship https://t.co/SoB9pBw3RD cc: @kendricklamar pic.twitter.com/pAYCk9djQy

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) December 19, 2017

“Having the opportunity to perform at halftime of what will surely be the best game of the year between two deserving universities is truly an honor,” Lamar said in a statement. “Thank you, ESPN, for having me be the first halftime performer ever at the College Football Playoff National Championship.”

“In each year of the College Football Playoff, we’ve been able to build upon the experience of the last,” said Ed Erhardt, president, ESPN global sales and marketing. “This year is a true first for college football — and it makes sense that the hottest performer of the moment, Kendrick Lamar, would usher in this new era for the national championship game.”

The College Football Playoff will begin with the semifinal games on New Years Day. Georgia will play Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and Clemson will play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The winners of those games will play on January 8 in the CFP National Championship Game at 8 PM ET at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Although Lamar’s nearby performance is free, the game itself will be far from cheap. As of last week, ticket reservations ranged from $360-$950 just to secure a ticket that would cost an additional $475-$575.