Kendrick Lamar was announced as the headliner of the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on Sunday (September 8), and hip-hop greats commented on Lil Wayne being overlooked because the big game will be held in his hometown of New Orleans in 2025.
Master P voiced his opinion on Instagram, saying that Lil Wayne “should be part of this celebration” as the No Limit Records boss serves as an ambassador for entertainment in the Big Easy.
“Shout out to @kendricklamar for performing at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show… well deserved, he is one of the hottest music artists in the world and has one of the biggest songs right now,” he began his post before sharing his thoughts on Weezy. “As an ambassador for entertainment in the city of New Orleans, I have to agree with fans that @liltunechi #LilWayne should also be a part of this celebration. He is one of the greatest hip hop artists alive, still relevant and he hails from New Orleans. Let’s not miss this cultural moment in the South. Life is too short! We must give our legends their flowers while they are here.”
Cam’ron and Mase returned with a series of It is what it is on Monday (September 9), where they praised Kendrick Lamar but couldn’t understand why Lil Wayne wasn’t chosen for the halftime show. Cam put the blame on Jay-Z, who serves as co-producer of the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show, and speculated that it could be due to issues with Hov and Wayne as rivals in the past.
“Listen, I love Kendrick Lamar… I hate the pick,” Cam began. “It’s in New Orleans and you’re not getting Lil Wayne? So this is what we’re doing? You’re not getting Lil Wayne to the Super Bowl in New Orleans? … There’s no reason why Lil Wayne shouldn’t be at the Super Bowl.”
He added: “It’s no real secret, Lil Wayne has had a problem before with someone who is part of the organization that runs this whole thing. This is the retaliation. Who is Lil Wayne’s artist? Drake… Lil Wayne not performing at the Super Bowl in New Orleans is outrageous and this has to stop.”
Mase chimed in: “Hate at this age is crazy.”
Billboard has reached out to Jay-Z’s representative for comment.
Although he lives about 80 miles northwest of New Orleans, Boosie Badazz also expressed his disappointment with the NFL’s decision to select Kendrick Lamar rather than an artist from the Big Easy or his home state.
“Y’ALL ACTING LIKE Y’ALL PLAYING FOR THE SUPERBOWL SMH THE MOST CULTURAL CITY IN THE USA (NEW ORLEANS) IS A KICK IN THE FACE TO EVERY HIP HOP LEGEND FROM LOUISIANA,” he wrote. “@MasterPMiller @BIRDMAN5STAR THIS SHOWS THEY DIDN’T WANT HER TO KICK THE DOOR AT ALL BECAUSE THEY’RE STILL TRYING TO LOCK IT‼️ SUPERBOWL 22 WAS IN CALIFORNIA AND CALIFORNIA ARTISTS ARE ALLOWED TO DO THEIR THING AND IT WAS A GREAT SHOW‼️ BUT NOW IT’S IN LOUISIANA AND NO LEGENDS FROM LOUISIANA CAN DO THEIR THING #Idon’trespectit.”
Fabian Marasciullo, Lil Wayne’s longtime engineer, expressed his disappointment over the decision to snub Weezy for K. Dot.
“Confused. Disappointed. Angry. But above all inspired,” Marasciullo wrote on his Instagram story, captured by Complex“We will never again be in a position where we are at the mercy of someone else’s decision. We will make the decisions.”
That doesn’t mean, however, that Lil Wayne won’t be participating in the Super Bowl halftime festivities in some capacity. The stage is set for Kendrick’s performance at Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025 in New Orleans. It won’t be Lamar’s first time taking part in the big game’s halftime show, as in 2022 he was part of the West Coast festivities alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent.
“Rap music remains the most influential genre to date,” Lamar said in the statement announcing him as a Halftime Show performer. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. You’ve found the right thing.”
