Rapper Lil Wayne, who was born and raised in New Orleans, was left “hurt” and “broken” after the NFL revealed earlier this week that Kendrick Lamar would headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show.
“It broke me, and I’m just trying to put myself back together,” Wayne said in an emotional Instagram video posted on Friday.
For years, Wayne has lobbied to headline a Super Bowl halftime show and felt that this season’s event, which will be held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, would be a dream come true. Instead, the city, along with the NFL and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, who are serving as producers for the halftime show, went with Lamar.
For Lamar, it will be the second time since 2022 that he headlines the Super Bowl halftime show.
“That hurt, it hurt a whole lot,” Wayne said. “I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown, for automatically mentally putting myself in that position. I thought there was nothing better — that spot, on that stage, on that platform.
“I feel like I let all of y’all down for not getting that opportunity.”
Wayne thanked his fans for their support and gave a specific shout-out to Nicki Minaj, who also lobbied for him to headline the show.
While it’s not impossible for Wayne to find himself on stage in February — headlining artists often welcome guests to perform — it is unlikely due to the complicated history between Wayne and Jay-Z, Roc Nation and Minaj, and several other outliers.
