Millions of fans rejoiced upon hearing the news that Kendrick Lamar would be the next Super Bowl headliner–but some New Orleans natives are confused by the choice.
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Super Bowl LIX is set for February 9, 2025 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Over the weekend, Kendrick took to social media to announce that he’ll be headlining the big game’s halftime show. Coming on the heels of his unanimous victory in his feud against Drake, tons of fans flocked to social media to celebrate this announcement. But, some New Orleans natives think the honor should have gone to the biggest rapper from their city: Lil Wayne.
The Compton native already performed at the Super Bowl in 2022, appearing in Los Angeles alongside other big So Cal natives like Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre at Super Bowl LVI. Since that halftime show paid tribute to the city it was held in, there are a bunch of fans pointing out that New Orleans has its own star who should’ve been given the gig–especially since the game is returning to Los Angeles in a couple years, anyway.
New Orleans native Master P was one person to speak out about the selection, saluting Kendrick for earning his spot at the top. Still, he echoed the same sentiment as many fans, hoping Wayne could at least be included in the performance, if not being billed as the headliner.
“Salute to @kendricklamar for performing at the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX.. well deserved, he’s one of the hottest music artists in the world and has one of the biggest songs right now,” P’s statement began. “As Ambassador of Entertainment in the City of New Orleans I have to agree with the fans that @liltunechi #LilWayne should be a part of this celebration as well. He’s one of the greatest Hop Hop artists alive, still relevant and he’s a New Orleans native.”
He continued, “Let’s not miss this cultural moment in the South. Life is too short! We have to give our legends their flowers while they are here,” tagging New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell and Jay-Z.
Another person close to Wayne, his engineer, also seemingly reacted to the news, posting a cryptic message about his disappointment following Kendrick’s announcement.
“Confused. Disappointed. Angry. But most of all, inspired,” Lil Wayne’s engineer, Marasciullo, wrote on his Instagram Story on Sunday. “Will never again be in a position or have the ð in a position where we are at the mercy of someone else’s decision. We will make the decisions.”
Lil Wayne previously spoke on his desire to headline the Super Bowl last year, revealing to Bleacher Report just how badly he wanted the opportunity.
“There’s so many people that’s not from the city there. So it’s a showcase. It’s something that tourists take back with them, and everybody not coming from an American city,” Wayne explained at the time.“People come from out the country, they gonna remember that. They’re gonna remember, ‘OK, I went to New Orleans for the game…I kind of remember the halftime show, I remember the food.”
“It’s a showcase and I believe that I’m a part of the New Orleans showcase,” he concluded.
Lil Wayne could still very well pop out at next year’s Super Bowl, but given his longtime relationship with Drake, it certainly makes things more complicated. Still, Kendrick Lamar is the biggest rapper in the world right now, so it’s hard to be mad at the choice to make him headliner.