Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
Kendrick Lamar will be performing at the halftime show when Super Bowl LIX is held in New Orleans, and Lil Wayne has made it clear he’s not thrilled about being overlooked for an event that will unfold in the city he hails from. Now, the CEO of Roc Nation has confirmed his name was in the mix while explaining why they ultimately decided to go in a different direction.
2020 marked the beginning of a new era for the halftime show at the Super Bowl, as the one that saw Jennifer Lopez team up with Shakira in Miami marked the first time Jay-Z and Roc Nation had a hand in producing that annual spectacle.
It’s been a pretty welcome change thanks to the solid string of performances since then, although I’d argue none of them came close to topping the stellar lineup of hip-hop legends, including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem, who did their thing at Super Bowl LVI.
Kendrick Lamar was a member of the crew that assembled at SoFi Stadium that year, and he’ll be taking center stage in 2025 after getting the nod in the wake of his decisive win in his well-documented beef with Drake that essentially ended when the Compton native dropped one of the best diss tracks of all time in the form of “Not Like Us.”
It’s easy to understand why K-Dot was tapped for the show, but it was also easy to understand why Lil Wayne felt he’d been snubbed when you consider there isn’t a single rapper from New Orleans (the site of Super Bowl LIX) who’s had more of an impact than him.
The New Orleans Advocate was able to get some more insight into the decision to go with Kendrick during a recent interview with Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, who told the outlet “I do believe that definitely there was consideration” for Lil Wayne before justifying the choice to go with someone firmly affiliated with a city close to 2,000 miles away, saying:
“New Orleans is so rich in culture. We have to take into consideration (that) whoever is going to perform can speak to music culture, regardless of age. It has to nod to real music, regardless of the genre. And Kendrick does that. Kendrick’s richness and culture is really a nod to New Orleans…
Kendrick is the right person for the show at this moment…He’s had an incredible year, very deserving of the attention. The Grammys also acknowledged that. That’s part of the consideration.”
SZA has already been announced as an official guest at the halftime show, and while it seemed like there was a chance Lil Wayne could end up making a surprise cameo, he’s already told Skip Bayless “he’s not gonna even be in the country” when the Super Bowl gets underway.