New Orleans native Lil Wayne has shared a video expressing disappointment at not being chosen to perform at the city's 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, which will instead feature Kendrick Lamar.
"That hurt. It hurt a lot. You know what I'm talking about. It hurt a whole lot," Wayne shared of the Halftime Show announcement earlier this week. "I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown, and for automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position. So I blame myself for that.
"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."
Wayne shared earlier this year how he had been "praying" to perform at the Super Bowl in his home city, saying, "We keeping our fingers crossed. I'm working hard. I'mma make sure this next album and everything I do is killer," he expressed. "I wanna just make it hard for them not to holler at the boy."
Since the announcement of Lamar's involvement, friends and contemporaries of Wayne have expressed sympathy, including former protege Nicki Minaj, Birdman, Master P and Lil Boosie.
JAY-Z, who became the NFL's live music entertainment strategist in 2019, called Lamar a "truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer" following the Halftime Show announcement, adding, "His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick's work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come."
Lamar shared a new, untitled song days after his Super Bowl involvement was announced.