Lil Wayne says Super Bowl Halftime show snub ‘broke me’

Though devastated that he wasn’t chosen to headline the 2025 Tremendous Bowl Halftime present in his hometown of New Orleans, Lil Wayne mentioned Thursday that he’s grateful for each voice that has supported him since Kendrick Lamar was introduced final weekend because the halftime performer.

“Your phrases changed into arms and held me up after I tried to fall again,” the “Sucker for Ache” and “Love Me” rapper mentioned late Thursday in an Instagram Stay, noting that he blames himself for assuming he would “robotically” get the high-profile gig.

The Crescent Metropolis hip-hop star, who had been public about his want to headline on the Tremendous Bowl in his hometown, acquired an outpouring of assist from followers and fellow artists when he was handed up in favor of Lamar for the February showcase. Money Cash mogul Birdman, Wayne’s labelmate Nicki Minaj and rappers Juvenile, Cam’ron and Grasp P all got here to his protection for the reason that obvious snub.

“That damage, damage rather a lot, it damage an entire lot,” the 41-year-old mentioned within the candid video. “I blame myself for not being mentally ready for a letdown and for simply robotically placing myself in that place like any person informed me that was my place. So I blame myself for that.

“I assumed there was nothing higher than that spot, that stage and that platform in my metropolis. So it damage, it damage an entire lot. However y’all are f— wonderful. It made me really feel like s— not getting this chance and after I felt like s—, you guys jogged my memory that I ain’t s— with out y’all. And that’s an incredible actuality.”

The “Loyal” and “Whats Poppin” featured rapper mentioned that the snub “broke him” and that he’s simply attempting to place himself again collectively, shouting out to those that have helped him, together with his friends, buddies, household, “homies on sports activities tv and everyone repping me.”

“I really feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that chance however I’m engaged on me and I’m working. So, thanks,” he mentioned.

The five-time Grammy winner additionally requested his 19 million followers to forgive him for “the delay” in addressing the snub, saying that he “needed to get power sufficient to do that with out breaking.”

Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., the “Lollipop” and “A Milli” emcee broke out in NOLA as a teen member of the Scorching Boys within the late Nineteen Nineties, charting with 25 Prime 10 hits and 5 Billboard 200 No. 1 albums. He additionally takes partial credit score for making Drake and Nicki Minaj stars and has dipped into fields from sports activities administration to marijuana. He additionally notoriously met with then-President Trump throughout his 2020 marketing campaign.

“As an artist, that is an achievement,” Lil Wayne mentioned of the halftime present in an interview with sports activities journalist Taylor Rooks final yr. “This has nothing to do with the game. That’s so loopy. I don’t care what groups are enjoying, what metropolis it’s in. ‘You carried out for the what?!’ Like, what? Oh man, that proper there may be an achievement.”

RocNation, Apple Music and the Nationwide Soccer League introduced Sunday that Lamar will headline the 2025 present on Feb. 9 on the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It is going to be Lamar’s second time performing on the Tremendous Bowl after final taking to the sector in 2022 with Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak for an Emmy-winning efficiency at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

“Rap music continues to be probably the most impactful style up to now,” Lamar mentioned in an announcement accompanying the announcement. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They obtained the best one.”

“Kendrick Lamar is actually a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” Roc Nation founder Jay-Z added. “His deep love for hip-hop and tradition informs his creative imaginative and prescient. He has an unparalleled capability to outline and affect tradition globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his affect can be felt for years to come back.”

Jay-Z’s leisure firm has produced the globally watched halftime present for six years now, coordinating performances by Usher, Rihanna, the Weeknd, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, plus Dr. Dre’s hip-hop spectacular. It additionally has labored to strengthen the NFL’s relationship with Black communities for the reason that fallout from soccer star Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protests, pushing for “Carry Each Voice and Sing” to be sung together with the Nationwide Anthem forward of video games since 2020.

Compton-born Lamar — a 17-time Grammy winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient — has dominated the hip-hop style over the previous few months together with his rapid-fire feud with Toronto emcee Drake, which he deftly punctuated with the summer time smash “Not Like Us.” The prolific rapper additionally launched a brand new monitor on Instagram on Wednesday, his first since “Not Like Us” capped his 4 different anti-Drake diss tracks.

Lamar has not but addressed Lil Wayne’s remarks, and representatives for Lamar, Roc Nation, the NFL and Apple Music didn’t instantly reply Friday to The Instances’ requests for remark.

It needs to be famous that it’s not unusual for halftime headliners to carry out shock company, so Lil Wayne may probably get a while on the sector in any case.

Instances workers writers Ashley Lee and August Brown contributed to this report.