2024-09-14 13:05:02
(WVUE) – Lil Wayne spoke out on Friday (Sept. 13) about not being selected to perform at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in his hometown of New Orleans.
This came a week after the NFL announced Los Angeles rapper Kendrick Lamar as the headliner for the event.
In an Instagram video, Wayne explained his delayed response, expressing how deeply the decision affected him. “First of all, I want to say forgive me for the delay. I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking,” Wayne said.
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Dressed in a red, white, and blue track jacket, the rapper, visibly emotional, described the hurt he felt after learning he would not perform at the halftime show.
“That hurt. It hurt a lot… I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown,” Wayne said. He admitted he had envisioned himself on that stage and felt the disappointment intensely. “I thought that was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt.”
Despite the disappointment, Wayne thanked his supporters, who he said helped him cope with the news.
“But y’all are f—ing amazing. It made me feel like s—t not getting this opportunity, and when I felt like s—t, you guys reminded me that I ain’t s—t without y’all.”
Wayne also acknowledged the public support from fellow artists, family, and fans.
“Thanks to all of my peers, my friends, my family, my homies on the sports television and everybody repping me,” Wayne said. He emphasized that their encouragement kept him going.
NOLA artists, including Master P and Juvenile, expressed their disapproval of Wayne being passed over.
Kendrick Lamar, who previously performed at the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, has not publicly responded to the criticism surrounding the NFL’s choice.
He is set to perform at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on February 9, 2025.
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