The National Football League adds a big exclamation point to the end of week one of the regular season with the announcement of Kendrick Lamar as the performer for the Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. After the year that Lamar has had with his resounding victory over Drake in their summer rap feud, it may seem unsurprising to some that Lamar would be given this stage. To others, including many of hip-hop’s most important figures, Lamar headlining the Super Bowl was a massive missed opportunity to highlight New Orleans’ own Lil’ Wayne.
Wayne had a recent interview resurface with YG here he expressed interest in performing at the New Orleans Super Bowl saying “We praying. We keeping our fingers crossed. I’m working hard … I wanna just make it hard for them not to holler at the boy.”
Getting the blame for most of this, ironically, isn’t Kendrick, it’s Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation has been teaming up with the NFL for years to organize some of the most successful Super Bowl Halftime Shows in history. Fans and musicians alike came out of the woodwork to condemn the NFL and Jay-Z for passing over Wayne, an artist they feel has more of a legacy, especially in Louisiana when it’s only been three years since Lamar appeared at the Halftime Show to support Dr Dre.
(KENDRICK AND DRE)
Some notable people who came out in favor of Jay-Z included Birdman and Nicki Minaj, the latter of which cited Jay-Z’s apparent hatred of Drake as a reason Wayne was not chosen to perform.
While people from Roc Nation and The NFL certainly have a say in creating a shortlist for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, it’s up to the host city itself to decide who will play according to a report from the Charlotte Observer in 2022. Still, there have been a lot of fans who agree with Nicki, Birdman, and others about the NFL missing the opportunity to highlight Wanye.
We are witnessing in real time people trying to downplay the skill and success of LIL WAYNE 😭 https://t.co/ZtgaeAGERh
— King Jared (@certifiedjared) September 10, 2024
On the other hand, there are plenty of people excited for Lamar to perform, citing his modern relevance and showmanship abilities as reason enough he deserves to headline.
Despite all of this buzz, neither Lamar nor Wayne themselves have commented on the controversy. With the Super Bowl performance months away, fans will have to wait to see Kendrick, The NFL and Roc Nation’s plans for the big performance.
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