The announcement was paired with a video of Lamar on a football field, posed in front of a massive American flag: “You know there’s only one opportunity to win the championship. No round twos,” he says in the clip. “I wouldn’t want you to miss it. Meet me in New Orleans.”
Lamar’s performance next February will cap a landmark year in the rapper’s career, which saw him go toe-to-toe with Drake in a warlike showdown and top the charts with his diss track, “Not Like Us.”
However, the announcement sparked both celebration and controversy, largely thanks to the location of the big game.
Many hip-hop fans had hoped that Lousiana native Lil Wayne would be the chosen headliner — a hope that Lil Wayne said he shared.
“That hurt. Hurt a lot. You know what I’m talking about. It hurt a whole lot,” he said in a new video shared on Instagram. “I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a let-down.”
“It broke me, and I’m just trying to put me back together,” Wayne continued. “I feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that opportunity.”
Here’s a breakdown of the controversy’s key points and everything you need to know about the Lamar vs. Wayne debate.
On paper, Lamar’s commercial success makes him a natural choice for the Super Bowl
Even though Lamar hasn’t released an album since 2022, this has been a banner year for the 17-time Grammy winner.
His winning streak began in March, when Lamar was featured on the No. 1 single “Like That” by Future and Metro Boomin.
The hit song reignited the long-simmering beef between Lamar and Drake, who went on to exchange nine diss tracks over the next few months. Lamar’s batch included scorchers like “Euphoria” and “Meet the Grahams.” Critics said his Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricism gave him an edge over Drake, who countered with songs that were more restrained and less popular overall.
Lamar’s deluge culminated in the fan-favorite banger “Not Like Us,” which shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and returned for a second week on top. Lamar performed the song five times in a row during a Juneteenth concert, a bold move that was widely described as his victory lap.
Lamar also released a music video for “Not Like Us” on July 4, whereas Drake has fallen silent since the feud hit a fever pitch.
Lamar has dominated both charts and pop-culture discourse throughout 2023, in addition to his long-standing role as a critical darling — precisely the combination of elements that the NFL would want to capitalize on.
On the other hand, Wayne is a New Orleans local who’s had a significant impact on hip-hop
Wayne hasn’t been as dominant as Lamar in recent years, but his commercial and cultural impact is undeniable.
Wayne has 25 top-10 hits on the Hot 100, including three that reached the top spot: DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One,” Jay Sean’s “Down,” and his own “Lollipop,” which has also been certified diamond.
The 41-year-old rapper is frequently cited as a crucial figure in hip-hop history, having inspired stars like Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Quavo, Ty Dolla $ign, and more. Lamar himself has called Wayne one of the “most influential” artists in the game. Wayne also helped launch Drake’s record-breaking career by signing him to Young Money Entertainment, Wayne’s own imprint of Cash Money Records.
When Lamar was announced as the 2025 halftime show headliner, Nicki Minaj, another Young Money alum, took to social media to defend Wayne’s influence.
“God forbid if Wayne was to leave this earth right now, the culture would be in mourning,” Minaj wrote on X. “That’s why so many ppl keep saying to give our legends their flowers while they are still around to smell them.”
Kevin Mazur/BBMA2017/Getty Images for dcp
Echoing the thoughts of many fans, Minaj cited Wayne’s close ties to New Orleans as a key reason for the let-down.
After all, when the 2022 Super Bowl was played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Dr. Dre was selected to lead the halftime show as an homage to West Coast hip-hop. Lamar, who hails from Compton, California, was one of several rappers who joined the performance.
This sentiment has been echoed by fellow rappers like Master P, Cam’ron, and Mase.
“As Ambassador of Entertainment in the City of New Orleans, I have to agree with the fans that @liltunechi #LilWayne should be a part of this celebration as well,” Master P wrote on Instagram. “He’s one of the greatest Hip Hop artists alive, still relevant, and he’s a New Orleans native.”
Both Minaj and Cam’ron also suggested that Jay-Z, who has a partnership with the NFL, intentionally snubbed Wayne — possibly due to his contentious relationship with Birdman, the CEO of Cash Money. That beef dates back to 2009, when Birdman said Wayne is a better emcee than Jay-Z. (That being said, Wayne and Birdman have since fallen out, largely due to professional and financial disputes, whereas Wayne and Jay-Z seem to be at peace.)
“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego,” Minaj wrote. “Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!! Nola what’s good?!!!!!!”
Some fans have also blamed Jay-Z for not picking Wayne — but he probably didn’t have the final say
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
It seems that Lamar has a solid relationship with the Carters, if not a close one — Lamar has been featured on Beyoncé’s songs “Freedom” and “America Has a Problem,” plus he appeared in last year’s “Renaissance” tour film — leading some to describe his Super Bowl selection as biased. In a column for USA Today, Mike Freeman said it was an example of Jay-Z “reshaping the image of the NFL.”
As Business Insider previously reported, Jay-Z has influenced the process of picking halftime performers since he partnered with the NFL in 2019. He also gave Lamar a strong vote of confidence in a statement shared by Roc Nation this week.
“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” Jay-Z said. “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”
Since Lamar framed his beef with Drake as a battle between a real rapper and a culture vulture (“You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars / No, you not a colleague, you a fucking colonizer,” he raps in “Not Like Us”), Jay-Z’s statement could be interpreted as him siding with Lamar over Drake, and, by extension, the entire Young Money crew.
However, when choosing a Super Bowl performer, Jay-Z’s is not the only vote that matters.
In 2023 and 2022, the game’s host cities — Las Vegas and Los Angeles, respectively — have come up with a shortlist of performers, which they subsequently propose to the NFL, according to NPR.
Jay-Z is one member of the NFL board that’s tasked with weighing these options and selecting one. Then, of course, the artist must agree to the offer.
Other prominent voices in the music industry have come to Jay-Z’s defense amid the backlash, including Fat Joe and Fabolous.
“Jay-Z is a big voice,” Fat Joe said in a video shared on Instagram. “But, you know, he gotta go through the NFL ranks, the Roger Goodells, everything like that, so they could come out with who’s performing at halftime. It ain’t just one man’s decision.”
A representative for Jay-Z did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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