Was Lil Wayne in a Gatorade commercial before Kendrick Lamar? Controversy explained as Compton rapper becomes first artist to appear in drink's ad
On April 18, 2025, Kendrick Lamar made history as the first artist to be featured in a commercial for Gatorade, in what the sport-themed beverage company has dubbed its "largest celebrity brand campaign" to date.
The campaign, titled Lose More. Win More., featured the Compton rapper giving a motivational speech as his track Peekaboo from GNX played in the background. The ad also featured NBA stars Jayson Tatum and Luka Dončić, as well as WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson, with Lamar making an on-screen appearance.
However, Kendrick Lamar's achievement courted controversy as it gained traction on social media. Media personality DJ Akademiks, a known Drake supporter, accused the pop culture X page Pop Base of "blatantly lying" about Lamar being the first artist to feature in Gatorade's ads. This came after the account's tweet about the ad included a community note that claimed Lil Wayne had appeared in a Gatorade ad in 2009.
While artists like Lil Wayne and Eminem have been associated with Gatorade's ad campaigns, it is important to note that neither artist appeared on screen and only provided voiceovers.
In 2009, Wayne narrated an ad for the beverage company titled What's G. Similarly, in 2023, Eminem provided a voiceover for a Gatorade ad titled The Greats Are Not Afraid To Fail. Kendrick Lamar is reportedly the first artist to appear on screen in a Gatorade ad, including providing a voiceover for said ad.
Anuj Bhasin, Gatorade's Chief Brand Officer, confirmed this in a statement to Sports Business Journal, saying:
“It’s the largest celebrity brand campaign in Gatorade’s history and Lamar’s involvement will be the first time a musician is featured in Gatorade ads."
Kendrick Lamar was reportedly chosen for new Gatorade campaign due to his "mindset of hard work"
Kendrick Lamar's feature in Gatorade's new ad campaign was unveiled on April 18. The 60-second ad included a montage of athletes as Lamar's narration focused on the history of the sports-themed drink, dating back to the 1965 University of Florida football team.
"How much are you willing to lose? Take the '65 Gators. Losing steam. Losing players. Losing sweat. The solution? A drink that hydrates better than water. So they can work more. Sweat more," Kendrick Lamar narrated.
He continued:
"'Cause when you do that, you can surpass the hype. You can inspire generation after generation. You can compete against anything. Even gravity. Expectations... or even yourself. So how much sweat are you willing to lose? That's how you know how much you're willing to win."
In his statement to Sports Business Journal, CBO Anuj Bhasin explained the central theme of the new ad, stating it intended to pay tribute to its origins by "telling Gatorade’s science-backed origin story—helping the Florida Gators overcome loss of steam and sweat—in modern, culturally relevant ways.”
He added that the company chose Kendrick Lamar for the new campaign due to his "mindset of hard work, resilience, and pushing boundaries.” Bhasin also said that Gatorade hoped to enlist a younger audience with Lamar's reach.
The 60-second ad would reportedly premiere during the NBA Playoffs on April 19.
In other Kendrick Lamar news, the rapper will embark on his co-headlining "Grand National Tour" with SZA, kicking off with their first show in Minneapolis on April 19. The tour will also feature Mustard, the producer of Not Like Us and TV Off, as the opening act.
