Lil Wayne expressed interest to headline 2025 Super Bowl in a resurfaced clip

Earlier this year, while appearing on YG's 4HUNNID podcast, Lil Wayne expressed his aspirations to headline the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, especially since it would be hosted in his hometown of New Orleans.

Despite his efforts and hopes, the coveted halftime slot was awarded to Kendrick Lamar, sparking a wave of disappointment among Wayne's fans and close associates.

During the podcast in February, Wayne mentioned, "I will not lie to you, I have not got a call,” highlighting his proactive stance towards securing the halftime show. 

He emphasized the importance of legacy over just having a hit single and credited YG and his co-host for recognizing his three decades in the music industry: 

"We all praying, we keeping our fingers crossed. I’m working hard. I’m going to make sure this next album and everything I do is killer, so I’m going make it very hard for them to... I want to just make it hard for them not to highlight the boy.”

The decision to pass over Lil Wayne has not gone unnoticed, with significant backlash coming from several quarters. Nicki Minaj and Birdman have publicly expressed their dissatisfaction, with Birdman tweeting his frustration and calling for respect for their label, YMCMB:  “These n****s pussy. Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne. YMCMB. Imma make these n****s respek us, on Gladys.” Nicki Minaj criticized Jay-Z and his NFL partnership, tweeting, “One n**** took a knee. The other n**** took the bag.”

Weezy's longtime engineer, Fabian Marasciullo, also shared his sentiments on Instagram, stating, "Confused. Disappointed. Angry. But most of all, inspired. Will never again be in a position or have the [GOAT] in a position where we are at the mercy of someone else’s decision. We will make the decisions.”

The city of New Orleans, which has hosted the Super Bowl a record-tying 11 times, last saw the big game in 2013 when Beyoncé performed at the halftime show. 

Fans had hoped that the 2025 event would be an ideal platform for Lil Wayne to showcase his enduring influence in the industry.

As the community reacts to the snub, the conversation around the selection process for Super Bowl halftime performers continues to heat up, with many questioning the criteria and decisions that lead to such outcomes.

— RichAndRay (@RichAndRay33) September 9, 2024