Nicki Minaj, Birdman, Master P, Cam'ron, Mase & more Hip-Hop icons react to the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show decison to snub the obvious New Orleans legend, Lil Wayne.
Super Bowl talk in September is usually not permitted unless you're placing a futures bet on either the Kansas City Chiefs three-peat, or whoever your favorite team is.
But at least you control your own wagers. Who selects the Super Bowl Halftime Show?
Turns out Jay-Z advises the NFL on entertainment - and he chose the California rapper Kendrick Lamar to perform in New Orleans, February 2025. Internet personality DJ Akademiks didn't hold back on X, tweeting "Jay Z a legendary hater” for completely disregarding not only one of Hip-Hop's greatest rappers of all-time, but New Orleans own Lil Wayne.
We all know the recent rap fued that famously went down between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and maybe that's where the NFL entertainment team and Jay-Z's inspiration came from. Maybe they wanted to continue the momentum from the 'beef' and carry it over into an audience during the halftime show. Maybe this is what they wanted from the public and the media: The chatter. Clearly, it ruffled feathers. And the entire social media world is defintiely talking about the Super Bowl in September. So kudos to the NFL PR team for that.
More rumors tend to indicate a public history between Birdman and Jay Z, dating all the way back to 1998, when Birdman signed Lil Wayne and designated him the better rapper over Jay Z. Fast forward to 2009, Lil Wayne was then responsible for signing Drake. Arguably the biggest artist to ever exist, according to music accolade and catelog credential. Some say this is a jab at Drake too, and elevating Kendrick here is ultimately a shot at both Drake and Lil Wayne.
Enter, Nicki Minaj. Nicki has her own history with Jay-Z. "Earlier this year, amid her beef with Megan Thee Stallion, Minaj publicly called out Desiree Perez, the CEO of Jay-Z’s agency Roc Nation, which has a management deal with Megan, with Minaj threatening to expose Perez for allegedly firing people for “unknown reasons” in an attempt to reportedly replace Minaj as the pinnacle of women’s rap with Megan Thee Stallion." (Forbes)
Nicki Minaj also went to X to deliver a statement of her own: "
The tweet garnered almost 21 million views in 24 hours.
Spite and pettiness seem to be what Nicki Minaj was suggesting about Jay Z. According to Jay Z: “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. 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.”
All of that could still be true, and I don't think anyone would doubt Kendrick Lamar's impact on music, the culture or the height of his career at the current moment. Some people argue Kendrick's fame, or "clout" is actually greater than Lil Wayne - at this current moment. But it's the optics. Certain vibe about it. The Super Bowl is being played in New Orleans for crying out loud. The choice was obvious, but the selection was arrogant, some say.
The Rollling Stone magazine reported "Nicki and Birdman join Master P and Cam’ron and Mase as artists who believe Wayne should have been the headliner for the February New Orleans event. Master P wrote an open letter on his Instagram opining, “#LilWayne should be a part of this celebration as well. He’s one of the greatest Hip Hop artists alive, still relevant, and he’s a New Orleans native. Let’s not miss this cultural moment in the South.” Cam'Ron added: “There’s no reason why Lil Wayne shouldn’t be performing in the Super Bowl,” adding, “It’s not really a secret. Lil Wayne had a problem with somebody before who’s kind of part of the organization running it. This is payback.” He concluded, “Who’s Lil Wayne’s artist? Drake … Lil Wayne not to be performing in New Orleans for the Super Bowl is egregious and it’s gotta stop.”
Drake shared five photos of Lil Wayne on his Instagram story. No words but the pictures are suggestive enough for social media to notice. US Magazine noted Kendrick's "halftime gig makes for a full-circle moment, as Drake declared himself “big as the Super Bowl” in last year’s song “First Person Shooter,” which is the track that kicked off all the drama. Drake, meanwhile, has been feuding with Lamar for months & most fans declared Lamar the winner of the feud after his song “Not Like Us” dominated radio all summer, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100."
Let's see how this all plays out by next year. But sheesh, it’s only Week 1!
Fans and industry professionals still think: “Kendrick is an awesome slot for the half time show” and “it’s gonna be legendary - so it’s hard to be mad about this. It’s like losing a $100 dollar bill and then walking down the street and finding a $100 dollar bill, congratulations. So as a fan who’s watching the show you really don’t lose in this situation. Oh and Kendrick just dropped a new track on IG.”
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