Justin Timberlake opened up on why he was moved to incorporate Prince into his Super Bowl LII half-time performance during an appearance on the following evening's broadcast of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In the process, the 37-year-old pop superstar showered the late Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with the highest praise; referring to him as, "the pinnacle of musicianship" for him.
"When we decided that the serendipity and the synergy that would be in Minneapolis, and that he’s such a special thing here aside from what he is all over the world, I just felt like I wanted to do something for this city and something for him that would just be the ultimate homage to what I consider the G.O.A.T. of musicians," said Timberlake.
JT then went on to address the negative press that preceded and then followed his usage of Prince's likeness on stage, revealing that in spite of controversy regarding the matter, he felt comfortable going forward with plans to honor the Minnesota native after receiving a co-sign from Questlove of The Roots. "I’m not gonna lie to you guys, because Questlove is the encyclopedia on music but also, like, the I feel like a gatekeeper on Prince so like if I got the thumbs up from Quest, I’m good," he said.
