Popular musicians are often called up to light up the opening ceremonies of important events. While the likes of Shakira, Pitbull, and more have given the FIFA World Cup new vigor, the Olympics, too, had its share of celebrities. Take Paris, for example. Bringing the flames to the stage was none other than the popular rapper, Snoop Dogg. Not to mention, France’s own Gojira was there to give a breathtaking heavy metal performance, charging the athletes. And now, with the upcoming LA Olympics in 2028, things are about to get more interesting. 

In a recent announcement by the Chairman of the 2028 Olympics organizing committee, Casey Wasserman, Kendrick Lamar might be the one performing in LA! “[Kendrick Lamar] is truly an LA icon… it would be a pretty fair bet that Kendrick will be involved in the Olympics in Los Angeles in some way,“ said Wasserman via ABC News. Well, this would be one of the big pops that the Olympics might get. After all, the popularity of Kendrick Lamar has increased significantly after his viral performance at the Super Bowl.

While he set the stage on fire with his incredible music, Lamar also had a special surprise. Dissing Drake from the ground, the moment instantly became an internet sensation. Popular tennis legend, Serena Williams, also made a cameo with Lamar with her infamous Crip Walk from a couple of years ago. Surely, bringing in a pop artist of Lamar’s caliber will make LA28 garner a lot of eyeballs. 

However, despite all the publicity, there has been some concerning news coming up regarding the Olympics. After the Palisades wildfire wreaked havoc, most of the property was damaged. Thus, trying to rebuild the entire program completely will require a significant amount of monetary backing. Although Wasserman stated that this might be a great comeback story for LA if they can pull it off. 

On the contrary, he also mentioned that the main goal of the program was to help people get back to their homes. Meanwhile, there are more things coming up surrounding the LA Olympics that have been raising the tension. 

LA Olympics gets more and more clouded

Ahead of the LA 28 Olympics, a significant change will be coming to the IOC. The current President, Thomas Bach, who was selected in 2013, served his tenure for 12 years straight. With a total of seven candidates competing for the chair, some of the significant names include Sebastian Coe, Kirsty Coventry, and the son of Juan Antonio Samaranch, who was a former IOC President. 

Next up, according to a recent report from Forbes, the LA Convention and Tourism Board stated that the LA public transportation might not be suitable for International travelers. Part of the reason is that it is pretty slow. However, a more sinister reason lies underneath. The LA public transport can be dangerous for visitors! As per the records, from January to March 2023, almost 22 people passed away on metro buses and trains.

And the reason? Suspected overdoses! Meanwhile, crimes such as aggressive assault, robbery, and misconduct rose by 24% as of 2022. Thus, with LA28 looking like a mixed bag as of now, it remains to be seen how things pan out in the future.