Lil Wayne explains why he did not watch Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show
Lil Wayne has admitted that he didn't watch Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime performance. In his Rolling Stone interview, published on April 17, Wayne explained that he felt sidelined after ot being granted the opportunity to perform in his hometown. The rapper said that he was originally considered for the halftime show but ultimately wasn't chosen.
The event took place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 9, 2025. Lil Wayne, who was born and raised in New Orleans, revealed he skipped the event entirely and chose to stay home instead.
"I just went and played pool in my little spot with Lil Twist and smoked one," Wayne told Rolling Stone. "Every time I looked, it was nothing that made me want to go inside and see what was going on."
In the same interview, Wayne clarified that he was not bitter toward Kendrick Lamar. He spoke to him before the big day and wished him well.
"I spoke to him. I wished him all the best and told him he better kill it," Wayne said.
Lil Wayne doesn't want to perform at the Super Bowl in the future
Lil Wayne also addressed the personal disappointment he felt from the NFL's decision. He revealed that he had made strategic efforts to increase his visibility in hopes of being selected, including attending exclusive events and mingling with major public figures.
"If you notice, I was a part of things I've never been a part of," he explained. "Like Rubin's all-white parties. I'm doing sh*t with Tom Brady. That was all for that."
Though he had once been hopeful, Wayne admitted that not being selected soured his interest in ever performing at the Super Bowl.
"They stole that feeling from me," he said. "I no longer have that dream."
Speaking to The Skip Bayless Show around the same time, Wayne repeated that he had no hard feelings toward Lamar. "He gotta kill it," he said again, emphasizing that Lamar had his full support. Wayne added that he wouldn't be in the US during the Super Bowl and had no plans to watch the performance, despite the hype.
The rapper also commented on Lamar's lyrics from the song Wacced Out Murals, which include the line, "Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud. Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down." Wayne interpreted the lyric as a compliment, saying it wasn't a diss and that he appreciated the mention.
"I think he's a fan like I'm a fan of his music," Wayne told Rolling Stone. "He didn't let me down."
Lil Wayne's album Tha Carter III, which Kendrick Lamar references in the track, was released in 2008 and has often been cited as a classic in hip-hop.
HotNewHipHop mentioned in 2024 that Lil Wayne was "strongly considered" to perform as the main headliner of the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. A report revealed internal discussions about the headlining opportunity, but no official proposal was presented to Wayne. Rolling Stone, along with other media outlets, announced Kendrick Lamar to be the headlining performer in November 2024.
His performance became one of the most talked-about moments of the night, especially given the rumors surrounding Wayne's potential involvement.
While Wayne has ruled out performing at a Super Bowl in the future, he remains active in music. As of April 2025, he is working on Tha Carter VI, a follow-up to his long-running album series, and recently announced a joint tour with 2 Chainz titled Welcome 2 ColleGrove Tour, set to kick off in summer 2025.
