Lil Wayne has spoken out about being snubbed as the performer of the 2025 Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in his hometown of New Orleans, LA.
On Sunday the NFL announced that fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the event, which caused some outcry in the hip-hop community over Wayne being overlooked.
Friends of Lil Wayne have come to his defence, targeting the show's executive producer Jay-Z with their complaints.
On Twitter, Nicki Minaj went off, writing, "Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego. Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!! Nola what’s good?!!!!!! Eminem stood firm on having 50Cent come out. A white man. S**t sad."
Other artists such as Birdman, Master P, Cam’ron and Mase have also voiced their disappointment in the decision to go with Kendrick.
Now Lil Wayne has shared his feelings, posting a video on socials explaining that not being given the chance to headline the show in his hometown was hurtful.
“First of all, I wanna say forgive me for the delay,” Wayne says in the clip. “I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking. I’ma say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, all the love and support out there. Your words turned to arms and held me up when I tried to fall back.”
“[Not being picked] hurt — it hurt a lot,” he continues. “I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown. For just automatically mentally putting myself in that position like someone told me that was my position.
“But I thought that was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt. It hurt a whole lot. But y’all are fucking amazing. It made me feel like shit not getting this opportunity and when I felt like shit, you guys reminded me that I ain’t shit without y’all… and that’s an amazing reality.”
“So, like I said, it broke me and I’m just trying to put me back together. But my God, have you all helped me. Thanks to all of my peers, my friends, my family, my homies on the sports television and everybody repping me. I really appreciate that, I really do.
“I feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that opportunity, but I’m working on me and I’m working. So thank you.”
With all of this said, there is still always the chance Kendrick reaches out to Wayne to make an appearance, perhaps, perform some bars of their 2018 collaboration, "Mona Lisa." But considering Wayne's history and relationship with Drake, Kendrick might hold that against him.
See the video below.