Lil Wayne is getting what the NFL owes him. Even before Kendrick Lamar stepped on the stage to perform at the Super Bowl at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, many were concerned about the Compton rapper’s presence in Louisiana.
When Jay-Z announced the Pulitzer Prize winner as the half-show headliner, it sparked immediate and widespread debate and disappointment among music and hip-hop fans.
Many believed that Lil Wayne, the GOAT, who has given the world countless hits and nurtured talents like Drake and Nicki Minaj, should have graced the stage.
Music heads and Jay-Z’s people justified Kendrick Lamar’s choice as the halftime performer based on the numbers he pulled with his monster hits, such as “Not Like Us,” “Meet the Grahams,” and “Euphoria,” which had impacted the world.
Lamar’s music crossed over, making him the rapper/artist of the moment. After instigating a brutal beef with Drake and making the hit song of 2024, Lamar was believed to be a good fit for the current political and social zeitgeist with his presence, artistry, creativity, and deep and ideological provocations.
Others pointed out that Lil Wayne has had drug-induced health issues for a while now that have hindered his ability to perform in the past.
However, at some point, the NFL was forced to acknowledge the disrespect shown to Lil Wayne. Sports commentator Skip Bayless, a close friend of Lil Wayne, revealed that the rapper received a heartfelt apology from the NFL.
Bayless stated: “The NFL immediately sent Wayne a letter of apology. From nobody in particular, just from the league on NFL letterhead.”
He added: “A letter that thanked him for his years of supporting the league, not just the Packers, his favorite team, but supporting and promoting the NFL, in general, which he has. He makes weekly appearances on the NFL’s Sunday pregame show, ‘NFL GameDay Morning’ on the NFL Network. But he will not play Sunday’s halftime show, and he definitely won’t watch a second of Sunday’s halftime show. He will watch the game, just not the halftime show. Not one second.”
He said Lil Wayne watched the game but not the performance. He claimed the NFL’s decision to overlook Lil Wayne took a toll on him.
He stated: “When the news first broke, it hit Wayne hard. He didn’t feel like doing much of anything for several long days and nights. He’s better now.”
Despite his ongoing health issues, Lil Wayne has shown remarkable resilience and determination and continues to perform well. He recently performed at Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary event in New York.
