Photo Credit: Lil Wayne’s Instagram
Lil Wayne speaks out about being passed over for Kendrick Lamar to perform at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show in his hometown of New Orleans.
New Orleans native Lil Wayne has released a video on Instagram expressing his disappointment at being passed over for Kendrick Lamar to perform at the city’s 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show. “That hurt. It hurt a lot,” said Wayne. “It hurt a whole lot.”
With the New Orleans hosting year approaching, Wayne had repeatedly expressed his desire to play the halftime show. In February, he mentioned he hadn’t received a call, but he was still hopeful. “We praying. We keeping our fingers crossed. I’m working hard. I’ma make sure this next album and everything I do is killer.” Even last December, he remarked that if he got to play the Super Bowl, he wouldn’t bring any guests out on stage, short of someone like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, or “a New Orleans jazz great.”
But now that he’s officially been passed over for the gig, Wayne took to Instagram on Friday (September 13) to express his disappointment. “I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown. And for automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position. So I blame myself for that,” said Wayne. “But I thought that was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt. It hurt a whole lot.”
“But y’all are f—ing amazing,” he continued, referring to all the fan comments online showing support for the star. “It made me feel like s—t not getting this opportunity and when I felt like s—t, you guys reminded me that I ain’t s—t without y’all. And that’s an amazing reality.”
“So, like I said, it broke me and I’m just trying to put me back together,” Wayne concluded. “But my God, have you all helped me. Thanks to all of my peers, my friends, my family, my homies on the sports television and everybody repping me. I really appreciate that. I really do.”
Several artists have sympathized with Wayne since Kendrick Lamar was announced as the Halftime headliner, including fellow New Orleans natives Birdman and Master P. Of course, no one was more outspoken about the snub than Nicki Minaj, who seemed to blame Jay-Z personally for the decision. The NFL partnered with Roc Nation as a producer for the Super Bowl Halftime performances.
“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego,” posted Minaj. “Your hatred for Birdman, Drake, and Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?”
Jay-Z has only commented on the selection of Lamar with the following endorsement: “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”
Super Bowl LIX is set to kick off at Caesars Stadium in New Orleans on February 9, 2025.
