Though he's devastated not to have been selected to headline the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in his hometown of New Orleans, Lil Wayne said Thursday that he's grateful for every voice that has supported him since Kendrick Lamar was announced last weekend as the halftime performer.
“Your words became arms and held me up when I tried to fall backwards,” the “Sucker for Pain” and “Love Me” rapper said Thursday night in an Instagram Live, noting that he blames himself for assuming he would “automatically” get the high-profile job.
The Crescent City hip-hop star, who had publicly stated his desire to headline the Super Bowl in his hometown, received an outpouring of support from fans and fellow artists when he was passed over in favor of Lamar for the February show. Cash Money mogul Birdman, Wayne's labelmate Nicki Minaj, and rappers Juvenile, Cam'ron and Master P all came to his defense following the apparent snub.
“That hurt me, it hurt me a lot, it hurt me so much,” the 41-year-old said in the video. “I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for disappointment and automatically putting myself in that position as if someone told me that was my position. So I blame myself for that.”
“I thought there was nothing better than that place, that stage, and that platform in my city. So it hurt, it hurt a lot. But you guys are fucking amazing. You made me feel like I didn’t have this opportunity and when I felt like I didn’t, you guys reminded me that I’m nothing without you. And that’s an amazing reality.”
The rapper who appears on “Loyal” and “Whats Poppin” said the snub “destroyed him” and he’s just trying to pick himself back up, thanking those who have helped him, including his teammates, friends, family, “friends in sports television and everyone who represents me.”
“I feel like I let everyone down by not getting that opportunity, but I'm working on myself and I'm still working. So, thank you,” he said.
The five-time Grammy winner also asked his 19 million followers to forgive him for “the delay” in addressing the snub, saying he “had to find the strength to do this without breaking down.”
Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., the “Lollipop” and “A Milli” emcee made a name for himself in New Orleans as a teenage member of the Hot Boys in the late 1990s, going on to chart with 25 Top 10 hits and five No. 1 Billboard 200 albums. He also partially takes credit for making stars of Drake and Nicki Minaj and has dabbled in fields ranging from sports management to marijuana. He also famously met with then-President Trump during his 2020 campaign.
“As an artist, this is an accomplishment,” Lil Wayne said of the halftime show in an interview with sportswriter Taylor Rooks last year. “This has nothing to do with sports. It’s crazy. I don’t care what teams are playing, what city it’s in. ‘You performed for what?’ What? Oh, man, that’s an accomplishment.”
RocNation, Apple Music and the National Football League announced Sunday that Lamar will headline the 2025 show on Feb. 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It will be Lamar’s second time performing at the Super Bowl after last taking the field in 2022 with Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak for an Emmy-winning performance at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
“Rap music remains the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “And I will be there to remind the world why. They picked the right guy.”
“Kendrick Lamar is truly a one-of-a-kind artist and performer,” added Roc Nation founder Jay-Z. “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.”
Jay-Z’s entertainment company has produced the halftime show, seen around the world, for six years, coordinating performances by Usher, Rihanna, The Weeknd, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, in addition to Dr. Dre’s hip-hop show. It has also worked to strengthen the NFL’s relationship with Black communities since the fallout from football star Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protests, pushing for “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to be sung alongside the National Anthem before games since 2020.
Compton-born Lamar (a 17-time Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner) has dominated the hip-hop genre in recent months with his whirlwind feud with Toronto emcee Drake, which he deftly punctuated with the summer hit “Not Like Us.” The prolific rapper also released a new song on Instagram on Wednesday, his first since “Not Like Us” capped his other four anti-Drake songs.
Lamar has not yet responded to Lil Wayne’s comments, and representatives for Lamar, Roc Nation, the NFL and Apple Music did not immediately respond Friday to The Times’ requests for comment.
It should be noted that it's not uncommon for halftime headliners to bring in surprise guests, so Lil Wayne could potentially get some time on the field after all.
Times staff writers Ashley Lee and August Brown contributed to this report.
