After days of speculation and public support, Lil Wayne has finally addressed the disappointment he felt over not being selected to headline Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans this February. The NOLA rap icon explained that the decision deeply affected him.
“First of all, I want to say forgive me for the delay,” Wayne began. “I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking. I must say thank you to every voice. Every opinion, all the care, all the love and support out there.“
He continued, “Your words turned into arms and held me up when I tried to fall back. That hurt, it hurt a lot. I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a let down. For just automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position. So, I blame myself for that, but I thought there was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city and so it hurt.”
Wayne went on to express his gratitude, saying, “It hurt a whole lot, but y’all are f*cking amazing. It made me feel like sh*t not getting this opportunity and when I felt like sh*t you guys reminded me that I ain’t sh*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. But my God have you all help me. Thanks to all my peers, my friends, my family, my home on Sports television and everybody repping me. I really appreciate that. I really do. I feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that opportunity but I’m working on me and I’m working so thank you all.”
Lil Wayne first publicly expressed his desire to headline the Super Bowl halftime show during an episode of Young Money Radio in 2023, referencing the fact that the event would be held in his hometown of New Orleans. “Super Bowl in New Orleans [is] coming up… I was just letting them know [that] I’m from New Orleans… I was born there, so you know, just letting them know. [I’m] not sure that they knew that I am from New Orleans,” he said. Later, on the 4HUNNID podcast, Wayne doubled down, saying, “We’re praying. We’re keeping our fingers crossed. I’m working hard… I want to make it hard for them not to holler at the boy.”
However, despite his efforts and aspirations, the halftime show went to Kendrick Lamar, sparking backlash from Lil Wayne’s peers and fans. Nicki Minaj, Master P, Birdman, and others expressed their disappointment, with Minaj notably calling out JAY-Z and Roc Nation, the NFL’s music partner, for the decision.
“One n*gga took a knee,” Minaj tweeted, referencing Colin Kaepernick’s protest, before shifting her focus to Jay-Z: “The other n*gga took the bag. He’s gonna get you in line every time.” She further criticized Roc Nation’s CEO, Desiree Perez, and accused Jay-Z of denying Lil Wayne his rightful place due to personal issues, stating, “Your hatred for Birdman, Drake, and me got you punishing Lil Wayne?”
Jay-Z responded by praising Lamar, saying, “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision, and his impact on the world transcends music.”
Kendrick himself addressed fans in a video announcing his performance: “What’s up everybody? My name’s Kendrick Lamar, and I’ll be performing at Super Bowl LIX. Will you be pulling up? I hope so! There’s only one opportunity to win the championship—no round twos. Let’s get it!”
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