Lil Wayne Says He’s ‘Devastated’ About Not Being Selected to Perform at Super Bowl

Recently, the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced Kendrick Lamar because the headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, an announcement that drew mixed reactions on social media. While some fans rejoiced over the “They Not Like Us” rapper’s nomination, others questioned the football conglomerate’s alternative.

Super Bowl LIX is ready to happen in New Orleans, Louisiana. The location of this 12 months’s NFL championship game led many fans to imagine the NFL and its partners would choose New Orleans-born Lil Wayne to perform the halftime show. But despite the outcry on social media, there isn’t any long-standing precedent for a halftime show headlined by a resident of the town hosting the Super Bowl.

After fans and celebrities like Cam’ron, Nicki Minaj and Master P expressed their disappointment over Lil Wayne’s omission from the halftime show, the rapper broke his silence on the matter, Instagram post. Sharing the video along with his 19 million followers, Lil Wayne got vulnerable, claiming the Super Bowl news “broke him.”

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“First of all, I’d like to say that please forgive me for the delay. I had to gather enough strength to do this without breaking,” he said in video. “I thank every voice, every opinion, all the care, all the love and support. Your words turned into arms and held me when I tried to retreat.”

The rapper explained that it “hurt a lot” that he was not invited to perform at the Super Bowl in his hometown.

“It hurt… I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for the disappointment. And for automatically putting myself in that situation, as if someone had told me that this was my situation,” he added. “So I blame myself for that. But I thought that it was nothing better than this place, this stage and this platform in my city, so it hurt. It hurt a lot.”

Earlier this 12 months, the rapper expressed interest in acting on stage in the course of the Super Bowl halftime show. episode of the podcast “4HUNNID” hosted by West Coast rapper, YG.

“I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t get a call,” Wayne told the podcast host. “But we’re all praying, we’re all keeping our fingers crossed. I’m working hard. I’m gonna make sure this next album and everything I do is killer, so I’m gonna make it really hard for them… I just want to make it really hard for them not to expose the guy.”

Despite his disappointment with the choice, Wayne praised his loyal fans and industry colleagues for his or her outpouring of support.

“But you’re all fucking amazing. It made me feel like shit not getting this opportunity, and when I felt like shit, you reminded me that without you I wouldn’t be shit… and that’s an amazing reality,” he concluded. “So, like I said, it broke me and I’m trying to put myself back together. But my god, did you all help me. Thank you to all my peers, my friends, my family, my buddies on sports TV and everyone who represents me. I really appreciate it, I really do. I feel like I let all of you down by not getting this opportunity, but I’m working on myself and I’m working. So thank you.”