Lil Wayne has broken his silence on Kendrick Lamar headlining the Super Bowl halftime show in February in New Orleans. According to Deadline, the New Orleans native rap star posted a video to Instagram revealing how he was crushed by the apparent snub.
“It broke me, and I’m just trying to put myself back together,” Wayne says in the clip. “That hurt, it hurt a whole lot. I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown, for automatically mentally putting myself in that position. I thought there was nothing better – that spot, on that stage, on that platform.”
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The rap star hasn’t hidden his desire to perform at the Super Bowl over the years, with the 2025 edition out of New Orleans felt by some online to be the golden ticket. That was not the case when came down to the final choice, made by Jay-Z and Roc Nation as producers for the show, the NFL, and the city of New Orleans.
“I feel like I let all of ya’ll down for not getting that opportunity,” Lil Wayne added, thanking those who had spoke out on his behalf, including Nicki Minaj and Master P. The latter penned a lengthy post praising Lamar and also speaking out for Lil Wayne (h/t Billboard).
“Salute to [Kendrick Lamar] for performing at the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX.. well deserved, he’s one of the hottest music artists in the world and has one of the biggest songs right now,” the No Limit founder wrote. “As Ambassador of Entertainment in the City of New Orleans, I have to agree with the fans that [Lil Wayne] should be a part of this celebration as well. He’s one of the greatest Hip Hop artists alive, still relevant, and he’s a New Orleans native. Let’s not miss this cultural moment in the South. Life is too short! We have to give our legends their flowers while they are here.
Meanwhile, Mase and Cam’ron spoke out, noting that Lil Wayne’s connection to Drake might be the big reason he was passed over this time. “Listen, I love Kendrick Lamar… I hate the selection,” Cam’ron said. “It’s in New Orleans and you don’t get Lil Wayne? That’s what we doing? You don’t get Lil Wayne in New Orleans for the Super Bowl? … There’s no reason why Lil Wayne shouldn’t be performing in the Super Bowl.”