Lil Wayne Says ‘It Hurt’ Not Being Chosen to Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show

Lil Wayne has broken his silence on not being selected to headline the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show in his hometown of New Orleans.

In an Instagram Live overnight, which hip-hop outlet XXL reposted on Sept. 13, the Louisiana music legend reacted to being snubbed by the NFL and halftime show producers Jay-Z and Roc Nation.

“First of all, I wanna say forgive me for the delay,” Lil Wayne began. “I wanna say, first of all, I had to get strength. I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking. I wanna say thank you. I wanna say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, all the love and the support out there. Your words turned into arms and held me up when I tried to fall back. That hurt, hurt a lot. You know what I’m talking about. It hurt a whole lot.”

Related: Nicki Minaj Blasts Jay-Z Over Super Bowl Halftime Show Selection

Lil Wayne breaks his silence about not being chosen to headline the halftime show at the 2025 Super Bowl.

"It broke me and I'm just trying to put me back together." pic.twitter.com/2FVo2HDPmk

— XXL Magazine (@XXL) September 13, 2024

After previously expressing interest in headlining the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX, the five-time Grammy winner said he was shattered when it didn’t work out.

“I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for just automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position. So I blame myself for that,” he added in the live. “But I thought there was nothing better than that spot, that stage and that platform.”

Lil Wayne added that support from his peers and fans has helped him get through the disappointment.

“But y’all are f–king amazing. It made me feel like s–t not getting this opportunity and when I felt like s–t you guys reminded me that I ain’t s–t without y’all,” he said. “That’s an amazing reality.”

The “A Milli” rapper continued: “So like I said, it broke me and I’m just trying to put me back together. But my God, have you all helped. Thanks to all my peers, my friends, my family, my homies on sports television, everybody repping me. I really appreciate that. I really do. I feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that opportunity, but I’m working on me and I’m working. Thank you.”

On Sunday, Sept. 8, the NFL and Jay-Z announced Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar will headline the Apple Music-sponsored halftime show.

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

Creative direction for the show will be provided by Kendrick and Dave Free’s Los Angeles-based company pgLang.

The California rapper is one of the most acclaimed hip-hop artists currently on the music scene.

He’s taken home 17 Grammy Awards, per Grammy.com. In 2018, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album Damn, becoming the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win the prestigious honor.

He also performed during the Super Bowl’s 2022 halftime show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, appearing with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Mary J. Blige.

Super Bowl LIX takes place on Feb. 9, 2025 at the Superdome.