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An HBCU marching band is set to perform alongside WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at WWE's Bad Blood Premium Live Event in Atlanta, Georgia in October. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff's Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South announced on their social media accounts that they'd be performing at the event.
“Oh nothing… just expanding our reach and getting national exposure! @WWE see you soon,” the band page posted.
Their invite to perform alongside Cody Rhodes comes after the HBCU band went viral for their rendition of his theme song Kingdom. They performed the song amidst the 70-0 beat down of the Golden Lions football team, which saw another viral moment when Arkansas football player Ja’Quinden Jackson playfully waved at a UAPB cheerleader after scoring a touchdown. But, the M4's performance of the song truly stole the show and secured them a huge moment in front of an expansive WWE audience.
Cody Rhodes' “Kingdom,” performed by Downstait, has been synonymous with his performance as a wrestler since he departed the WWE in 2016. The song defines Rhodes as it details his wrestling journey as he looks to create his own legacy and impact the sports entertainment industry similar to what his father Dusty Rhodes did in his legendary career. The song fits Rhodes's larger-than-life persona and superhero-esque resiliency in the ring.
The song also has a brief reference to Rhodes's father Dusty Rhodes, a famous WWE star who was known for his iconic “Hard Times” promo. The promo referenced his feud with Ric Flair over the NWA World Championship at Starcade 1985.
“Hard times are when the textile workers around this country are out of work, they got 4 or 5 kids and can’t pay their wages, can’t buy their food. Hard times are when the auto workers are out of work and they tell ‘em go home. And hard times are when a man has worked at a job for thirty years, thirty years, and they give him a watch, kick him in the butt and say ‘hey a computer took your place, daddy', that’s hard times! That’s hard times,” he said in a portion of the promo.
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Downstrait references the promo early in the song, saying, “And my father said, when I was younger, Hard times breed better men (better men!)”
Rhodes made his triumphant return to the WWE at Wrestlemania 38, where the song played and WWE fans around the world clamored over The American Nightmare's return. He was the surprise opponent of Seth Rollins and captured his first win in a match that many consider one of the best of the weekend. Rhodes won the WWE Championship in a highly-anticipated rematch with long-time WWE Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 40
The song is synonymous with Rhodes's return to the WWE at Wrestlemania 38. He was the surprise opponent of Seth Rollins and ultimately captured his first win to kickstart a phenomenal return run in the WWE. Recently at WrestleMania 41 Rhodes captured his first WWE championship with a huge win over longtime WWE Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns.
Ironically, Rhodes and Reigns are set to team up in a battle against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu of the new iteration of Reign's old faction “The Bloodline”. The M4 Marching Band will bring SWAC style and flair to the PLE, hoping to give Rhodes and Reigns the energy to beat Sikoa and Fatu.
WWE's Bad Blood takes place on October 5th.
