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Why some artists think Lil Wayne should have been singled out during Super Bowl halftime – and why they blame Jay-Z

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Nicki Minaj and other artists have apparently criticized Jay-Z – the co-producer of the Super Bowl halftime show – for choosing Kendrick Lamar instead of New Orleans native Lil Wayne as the artist for Super Bowl LIX, blaming a rap feud as the reason for the alleged rejection.

Key data

California rapper Lamar – who had a public feud with rapper Drake earlier this year – was chosen as the halftime singer for Super Bowl LIX, which takes place in New Orleans in February. Several artists subsequently suggested that New Orleans native Lil Wayne should have been the choice.

Some people blamed Jay-Z, who advises the NFL on entertainment issues, for the alleged snub: “The Super Bowl in New Orleans and they had Lamar perform instead of Lil Wayne… Jay Z is a legendary hater for this,” said podcaster and internet personality DJ Akademiks in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In Monday's episode of his podcast, rapper Cam'ron hinted that there was a dispute between Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, who signed Drake to his record label Young Money Entertainment in 2009. The reason for Lamar's selection was: “Lil Wayne has had a problem before with someone who is part of the organization that [the Super Bowl]- this is revenge. Who is Lil Wayne's artist? Drake,” Cam'ron said.

Jay-Z's long-running feud with rapper Birdman may have something to do with the decision, according to Nicki Minaj; Jay-Z and Birdman have been in a public feud since 2009, when Birdman, who signed Lil Wayne to his label in 1998, said Lil Wayne was a better rapper than Jay-Z.

Although Jay-Z and Lil Wayne have repeatedly attacked each other over the years, the two have apparently reconciled after Lil Wayne became co-owner of the New York rapper's music platform Tidal in 2015 before selling a majority stake to Jack Dorsey's block in 2022.

Minaj has her own history with Jay-Z's camp: Earlier this year, during her feud with Megan Thee Stallion, Minaj publicly challenged Desiree Perez, the CEO of Jay-Z's agency Roc Nation, which has a management deal with Megan. Minaj threatened to expose Perez for allegedly firing people for “unknown reasons” in order to supposedly replace Minaj with Megan Thee Stallion as the epitome of female rap.

Forbes has reached out to Roc Nation, Lil Wayne, Lamar and the NFL for comment.

Key quote

“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “His deep love of hip-hop and culture shapes his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture worldwide. Kendrick's work transcends music and his influence will be felt for years to come.”

What is Jay-Z's connection to the NFL?

Jay-Z was named co-producer of the Super Bowl halftime show in 2019 after partnering with the NFL to advise the league on entertainment and music. That partnership gives the New York rapper and Roc Nation creative freedom to help select the entertainers who will appear in televised NFL commercials throughout the season, which includes the Super Bowl. That deal came about after several artists, such as Rihanna — who eventually performed in 2023 — turned down the halftime show to support former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality. Although Jay-Z said in 2019 that he had some concerns about partnering with the NFL until Kaepernick signed a contract, he said his partnership would help the league expand its social justice initiatives, according to The Washington Post.

Why do people think Lil Wayne should be the halftime artist?

Fellow New Orleans rapper and the city's newly appointed entertainment ambassador, Master P, said in an Instagram post on Sunday that while Lamar was “well-deserved” the role, he felt Lil Wayne should also be part of the “celebration” because “he's one of the greatest, [hip hop] living artists that are still relevant and he's from New Orleans.” Cam'ron also praised Lamar on his podcast episode, but subsequently criticized the selection, saying, “It's in New Orleans and you're not getting Lil Wayne… there's no reason Lil Wayne shouldn't be at the Super Bowl.” Others have pointed out that artists from Louisiana should have been selected since Super Bowl LVI was held in California and California artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Lamar were selected as halftime artists this year. “Y'ALL ACTING LIKE Y'ALL PLAYING IN THE SUPERBOWL SMH THE MOST CULTURAL CITY IN THE USA (NEW ORLEANS) THIS IS A KICK IN THE FACE TO EVERY HIP HOP LEGEND FROM LOUISIANA,” Boosie Badazz, a rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said in a post on X before mentioning the selection of California artists for Super Bowl LVI.

Important background

Lamar and Drake engaged in a heated rap feud earlier this year that also involved several other artists after Lamar apparently responded to Drake and rapper J. Cole “sneakily dissing” him on their collaborative song “First Person Shooter.” Drake and Lamar traded diss tracks between March and May, which catapulted several of the singles to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the end, Lamar's “Not Like Us” was the most awarded track, hitting No. 1 on the chart and breaking Spotify's streaming market. record and became the most-streamed American hip-hop song in a single day with 6.59 million streams. “Not Like Us” and Lamar's collaborative song “Like That” with rapper Future and producer Metro Boomin are the only songs from the feud still on the Billboard Hot 100.

Forbes Rating

2.5 billion dollars. That is how much Forbes estimates Jay-Z’s fortune.

More information

Drake-Kendrick Lamar Feud Timeline: Lamar Performs Diss Tracks at Star-Studded Pop Out Show (Forbes)

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