Lil Wayne had high hopes to set the Super Bowl stage on fire, but things took an unexpected turn when Kendrick Lamar got the spotlight instead.
Nearly 133 million viewers tuned in to watch Kendrick Lamar diss Drake at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, but Lil Wayne wasn’t one of them. The rapper claims he was led on by the NFL, believing he had a shot at the performance.
Wayne had been campaigning for over a year to secure the halftime gig in New Orleans. He expressed how much it hurt to be snubbed so publicly. He was pushed to be more visible, which meant stepping out of his comfort zone to mingle with the likes of Tom Brady and attend Michael Rubin’s parties.
In a chat with Rolling Stone, Wayne revealed the hoops he had to jump through. “To perform, it’s a lot of things you’ve got to do,” he shared, likening it to kissing the right asses. Unlike Drake, Wayne prefers the studio over smiling in public.
The NFL reportedly told him directly, “We ain’t in charge,” shifting the blame to Jay-Z and Roc Nation. This left Wayne frustrated and disillusioned with the entire process.
Adding to the drama, Drake has amended his lawsuit against Universal Music Group to include Kendrick’s performance of “Not Like Us”. Wayne mentioned he was unknowingly dragged into this mess after performing the song live.
While Kendrick entertained millions, Wayne opted for a low-key night, playing pool with Lil Twist and enjoying some weed. “Every time I looked, there was nothing that made me want to go inside and see what was going on,” Wayne explained.
Despite the snub, Wayne’s looking ahead as he preps for his new album, “Carter VI”, dropping in June. He promises it will be worth the wait, hinting that his revenge will be in the tracks.
Wayne’s NFL experience might have been disappointing, but fans can look forward to his musical comeback with “Carter VI”.
