Outkast turned down the chance to play pop’s biggest televised showcase because André 3000 was unwilling to perform shortened versions of their songs, according to Big Boi, the other half of the group.
In an interview on ESPN on Thursday, Big Boi said the hip-hop duo were invited to perform at the Super Bowl half-time show, but refused the offer because André 3000 wanted to perform Hey Ya! and The Way You Move in full, rather than in the abridged versions usually required by the producers.
“[André] didn’t want to cut the songs; he wanted to do the full songs,” Big Boi revealed. “He said, ‘Nah, can’t do it.’” He said he tried to change his bandmate’s mind, but to no avail. “Hopefully, they invite us back,” he said.
Pitchfork suggests the Super Bowl in question must have been the 2004 game, in which the half-time slot was taken by Janet Jackson, who succeeded in making her appearance one of the most talked about in the event’s history when a “wardrobe malfunction” caused the appearance of her nipple during a duet with Justin Timberlake.
