Name one thing New Orleanians love more than representing their city.
Kendrick Lamar will headline the 2025 Super Bowl over Lil Wayne, and the internet was quick to call out Jay-Z, co-producer of the Super Bowl halftime show — for good reason.
The NFL, Roc Nation and Apple Music announced on Sept. 8 that Lamar would perform the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. The game is scheduled to take place on Feb. 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Football fanatic or not, this 13-minute performance is one of the most watched events of the year.
Jay-Z, rapper and founder of Roc Nation, received backlash from hip-hop enthusiasts and celebrities after the announcement. Nicki Minaj, a long-time friend of Wayne, was one of the first celebrities to take to X (formerly Twitter) for not choosing the New Orleans native to represent his city. Wayne was a mentor for Minaj and rapper Drake, who coincidentally has been in a recent rap beef with Lamar.
“This man has literally changed the FACE of hip hop,” Minaj wrote on X. “Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!! Nola what’s good?!!!!!!”
Minaj is right. Wayne has changed the face of hip hop. His influence on the culture around hip hop music has inspired the new generation of rappers. Almost every rapper today has face tattoos, piercings and a ‘Lil’ in front of their name, all styles Wayne helped to introduce. He was one of the first to start using autotune in his music and created the trap sound. Wayne is what every modern day rapper is hoping to become.
Minaj goes on about how much good Wayne has done for her and others. Not only did Wayne jumpstart her and Drake’s careers, turning them into two of the biggest rappers today, he has also done so much good for New Orleans.
From handing out turkeys every Thanksgiving, to donating $200,000 to rebuild his favorite childhood park after hurricane Katrina, Wayne cares deeply for New Orleans. The next best thing he can do for the people who supported his career since the beginning, is give them the show of a lifetime. Not being selected for the Super Bowl felt like a personal attack from Jay-Z.
Jay-Z and Wayne have had a long-time on and off beef, but reportedly settled the drama in 2015; however, Minaj says Jay-Z has always had a hatred for New Orleans rapper Birdman, who signed Wayne in the late 90s. Boosie Badazz, a Baton Rouge rapper, and New Orleans artists like Master P and Juvenile are also upset about the decision and their lack of representation for the city. This Super Bowl will be the 11th one taking place in New Orleans and no New Orleans hip-hop artists have ever been booked.
Though it’s not expected for the halftime performer to be from the city the Super Bowl takes place in, Wayne has expressed many times that he would love to perform on that stage in his city and for his city. He took to social media and posted a solemn video, expressing his disappointment. In the Instagram video, he thanked his fans and the city for always having his back. He also blames himself for not being mentally prepared for a let down.
“That hurt,” he said. “Nothing better than that stage, that platform in my city… it broke me.”
The 2025 performance will mark the second time Lamar has received this opportunity, an opportunity many artists do not receive once. In 2022, Lamar was on stage alongside Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige and Anderson .Paak at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Anderson .Paak and Lamar are all from neighboring parts of California.
The west coast ensemble represented their hometowns, so why can’t Wayne? Being selected just two years ago should be enough reason to choose a new artist. While Lamar has been given the opportunity twice, Wayne has been snubbed twice.
Wayne’s rise to fame arose in the early 2000s and he is still considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. The 2013 Super Bowl took place in New Orleans and Beyoncé was the halftime performer. The year 2013 was only a few years after the peak of his rap career. He wasn’t chosen then and is not being chosen now, even after being one of the most influential rappers for over 20 years.
Lamar and Jay-Z still have a chance to make things right and settle the tension by bringing Wayne out to perform his hit song ‘Mona Lisa,’ which features Lamar off of Wayne’s 2018 album, Tha Carter V. Although Wayne should’ve been named the headliner to begin with, this act could right the wrong.
