The NFL’s Grant Park party to celebrate the start of the season will feature a hip-hop star — but it’s not Chance the Rapper.
Meek Mill will perform, as will pop star Meghan Trainor and Rapsody, the NFL said Friday. Meek Mill, the headliner, will play at 6:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to watch the game on giant screens afterward. Portions of Meek Mill’s performance, as well as Trainor’s, will be simulcast on the NBC and NFL Network pregame shows.
Bears chairman George McCaskey said almost six weeks ago that the headliner to the event would be Chicago-based Chance the Rapper. Neither the league nor the rapper’s representatives confirmed the booking, though, and it seemed less likely with each passing week.
Meek Mill became a face for prison reform after he was sentenced to state prison in November 2017 for probation violations that included an airport scuffle and riding a dirt bike. After five months — and with support from countless celebrities — he was granted bail. His conviction was later thrown out by an appeals court.
Trainor is known for hits “All About That Bass” and “Lips are Movin.’”
- Both artists are advocates for Inspire Change, the NFL’s social justice platform that supports education and economic advancement programs, police and community relations and criminal justice reform.
The party runs from noon to 10:30 p.m. Thursday. Former Bears Matt Forte, Jim McMahon and Charles Tillman will sign autographs. The event is free.
