Lil Wayne has declared he’ll never perform at the Super Bowl, especially after being passed over for the 2025 halftime show in his hometown of New Orleans.
“They stole that feeling,” he told Rolling Stone in a new cover story. “I don’t want to do it. It was perfect.”
For the Grammy-winning rapper, performing at the Super Bowl, particularly in his hometown, had long been a personal dream.
He had previously expressed that hope in a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone. But when Kendrick Lamar was announced as this year’s halftime performer, Wayne admitted the news “broke” him, even releasing a video at the time sharing his disappointment.
In his latest interview, Wayne opened up about the behind-the-scenes efforts he made to secure the coveted slot, revealing that someone from the NFL had advised him to take a more public-facing approach in preparation for the opportunity.
“To perform, it’s a bunch of things they’re going to tell you to do and not do, asses to kiss and not kiss,” he said. “If you notice, I was a part of things I’ve never been a part of. Like [Michael] Rubin’s all-white parties. I’m doing s*** with Tom Brady. That was all for that. You ain’t never seen me in them types of venues. I ain’t Drake. I ain’t out there smiling like that everywhere. I’m in the stu’, smokin’ and recording.”
Those signs led Wayne to believe the halftime show was his. But when Kendrick Lamar was ultimately chosen, he said someone at the NFL reached out with an apology, telling him, “We ain’t in charge” of the final decision.
Despite the disappointment, Wayne said he called Lamar ahead of the show to offer encouragement and clear the air.
Source: Rolling Stone
