Lil Wayne Discusses Super Bowl Halftime Show with Kendrick Lamar
Lil Wayne holds no resentment towards Kendrick Lamar regarding the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.
“I’ve spoken to him, and I wish him all the best, telling him he better crush it,” Lil Wayne, 42, mentioned on “The Skip Bayless Show” on December 16. He was sharing his thoughts on lyrics about him from “Wacced Out Murals,” which appears on Lamar’s GNX album released last month.
“Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud,” raps Lamar, 37, in the track. “Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down.”
During the interview, Lil Wayne expressed that it was the first time he had encountered those lyrics. (The lines from Lamar appear to hint at Lil Wayne’s feelings about not securing the opportunity to perform during the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show.)
Drake has seemingly reacted to the announcement that his rival Kendrick Lamar will be headlining the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in 2025. The Canadian rapper, 37, shared five images of Lil Wayne on his Instagram Story on September 11, leading many fans to interpret this as a subtle commentary on the situation.
“I think [Lamar’s] a fan just as I am of his music… he recognized the significance of it to me,” explained the “A Milli” artist. “I believe that’s all he meant… of course, he can’t control that. He didn’t let me down; it’s not as if he had any control over it.”
Lil Wayne emphasized, “He knew there was nothing he had to explain. No justification was needed.”
Kendrick Lamar was officially announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in September, set to take place in New Orleans. Lil Wayne had previously expressed interest in the opportunity, considering it was taking place in his hometown.
Previously, Lil Wayne shared a video on Instagram reflecting on how he felt unprepared for the potential disappointment of not performing.
“I needed to muster enough strength to handle this without breaking down. I’m grateful for every voice, every opinion, all the care, love, and support I’ve received,” he stated. “Your words turned into comforting arms that held me up during my low moments.”
Drake is not attempting to prevent Kendrick Lamar from performing his hit song “Not Like Us” at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. “The rumors are entirely untrue,” a representative for Drake, 37, stated to Us Weekly on October 1. This denial follows reports that he had plans to do so.
Lil Wayne expressed to his fans that being turned down to perform “hurt deeply.”
“You know exactly what I mean. It hurt a lot,” he continued. “After automatically placing myself in that role as if someone had told me it was mine. So, I take responsibility for that. I believed there was nothing better than that stage, in my city, so it really hurt. It hurt tremendously.”
During his podcast appearance on Monday, Lil Wayne mentioned that he’s trying to channel the perceived slight into motivation for his career.
“I see it as an opportunity to push myself harder, ‘You’re not there yet; you need to get there,’” he shared. “I aspire to reach a point where I’m unavoidable. I want to be in a situation where they can walk in with ten different options, but the decision-makers say, ‘No, we have to choose him!’”
