KENDRICK TO KICK OFF FIRST-EVER COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP HALFTIME PERFORMANCE

Kendrick Lamar will be the first-ever halftime performer at the College Football Playoff National Championship, ESPN has announced.

The multiple Grammy nominee, whose TDE/Aftermath/Interscope set DAMN. sits at #1 on the HITS Year-End Top 50 chart, will perform at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park on 1/8/18; the championship kicks off at 8pm ET. The halftime event will be a free, non-ticketed gathering just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the game will be played. The performance, according to an announcement, will be "integrated" into ESPN halftime coverage.

"Having the opportunity to perform at halftime of what will surely be the best game of the year between two deserving universities is truly an honor," said Lamar.

"This year is a true first for college football," proclaimed ESPN's Ed Erhardt, and it makes sense that the hottest performer of the moment, Kendrick Lamar, would usher in this new era for the national championship game."