For Lil Wayne, the dream of headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show ended in disappointment after being passed over in favor of Kendrick Lamar, leaving him vowing never to consider it again.
- Apr 18, 2025
AceShowbiz - Lil Wayne has publicly ruled out ever performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. This decision stemmed from the NFL's choice to select Kendrick Lamar over him for the 2025 event, held in Wayne's hometown of New Orleans.
"They stole that feeling," he lamented in a recent Rolling Stone interview. "I don't want to do it. It was perfect."
Instead of watching Lamar's Halftime Show, Wayne chose to play pool with fellow rapper Lil Twist. He didn't feel compelled to watch, stating, "Every time I looked, it was nothing that made me want to go inside and see what was going on."
The rapper went to great lengths in hopes to land the headlining spot at the Halftime Show, participating in events and circles he'd never been part of.
"Like (Michael) Rubin's all-white parties," Wayne revealed. "I'm doing (things) with Tom Brady. That was all for that. You ain't never seen me in them types of venues. I ain't Drake. I ain't out there smiling like that everywhere. I'm in the (studio), smokin' and recording."
Wayne's initial desire to perform at the event was fuelled by his deep connection to New Orleans. After Lamar was named the headliner, Wayne let out his disappointment in an Instagram Live video. "I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for just automatically mentally putting myself in that position. I thought there was nothing better than that spot, that stage, that platform, in my city. So it hurt, it hurt a whole lot."
Lamar addressed the controversy in his album "GNX," stating, "I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down." Despite the disappointment, Wayne wished Lamar "all the best" with his performance on "The Skip Bayless Show."
In February, Wayne confirmed his decision to skip the Super Bowl week entirely, writing on Instagram, "Y'all know I'm not going to be there this week." However, he did make a high-profile appearance shortly after by performing during the 50th anniversary of "Saturday Night Live."
Although the NFL later apologized and explained they were not "in charge" of the selection process, Wayne's frustration remains. He concluded, "They f***ed up."
