Jason Mendez / Contributor via Getty Images,
Frazer Harrison / Staff via Getty Images
In less than four months, thousands of football fanatics will pack Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, and millions more will tune in for the Super Bowl halftime show from home. Kendrick Lamar was announced as the evening showstopper in early September.
In the promo video revealed by Apple Music, Lamar invited fans to wear their Sunday’s best for what is certain to be a spectacle of a performance on Feb. 9, 2025. News of him getting a second opportunity to grace the halftime show — his first being in a medley of Dr. Dre records in 2022 — came months after he went round-for-round in a volley of heated diss tracks with Drake this summer.
But up until the announcement, countless people speculated that Lil Wayne was a shoo-in for the gig. Wayne broke his silence on the perceived snub amid outcry from fans who hoped to see him headline a heavily New Orleans-influenced show. “Your words turned into arms and held me up when I tried to fall back. That hurt. It hurt a lot. You know what I’m talking about. It hurt a whole lot,” he said in a video posted on his Instagram account. Like his supporters, the “A Milli” rapper said he too mentally placed himself in that position.
But not everyone views the NFL and halftime show committee’s decision as a snub, let alone something that should knock him off his game. LL Cool J weighed in on the topic when he guest appeared on the new STARZ interview series “Fat Joe Talks.” The Hip Hop trailblazer praised his contemporary for being “one of the most talented dudes on the planet, period. He’s one of our great artists. He’s an unbelievable writer,” but added, “He’ll have his day. Let Kendrick get that. Let’s keep it moving.”
"Yo, I never did the Super Bowl,” said LL, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 alongside JAY-Z, who has yet to helm a half-time show. “Look, first of all, the people of New Orleans are amazing. Wayne comes from a very proud state, Louisiana, and a very proud city, New Orleans, so we gotta put some respect on that.”
In the end, The FORCE emcee said, “But this is the thing, your time will come. You’ll have your day. You will. You were a little kid, 14 years old, [and] you became one of the great rappers in the culture, one of the most influential. You put things in the dictionary. You’ll have your time. You can’t let that break you… He don’t need to worry about that moment. That’s just a moment, bro. It’s just one moment.”
In the meantime, those who ride for Wayne can catch him at Lil Weezyana Fest on Nov. 2, where he will reunite with the Hot Boys in their hometown.