BOXING
Who was the rapper performing ahead of the Fury - Usyk fight?
The Atlanta rapper was given centre stage ahead of the hotly-anticipated bout.
Ahead of the fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, a rapper took to the stage in a floating cube above the ring, where he spat furiously over the microphone to hype the already excited crowd containing plenty of famous faces.
But who was he? Here’s everything you need to know...
Fight night.
Who performed before Fury - Usyk?
The rapper’s name is JID. He is an artist from Atlanta and his real name is Destin Choice Route. JID is signed to Interscope records, the same label as artists such as Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. He toured with J Cole on his 2017 4 Your Eyez Only tour.
Born in 1990, the 33-year-old has shot to household-name status in the rap world, with hit songs such as ‘151 Rum’ and ‘Dance Now’ highlighting both his quick-fire flow and intricate lyrical style, not to mention his ability to perform to a variety of beats and musical tones.
JID’s latest project is called The Forever Story, and was released in 2022. Before that, he made his name with his album DiCaprio 2. One of JID’s most successful songs, ‘Surround Sound’, a track from his most recent album, was performed ahead of the fight.
The clash between Fury and Usyk will take place on Saturday, May 18, at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT. The Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk ring walks are scheduled for 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT, although these timings are subject to change. You can follow it live on AS USA.