Nicki Minaj joined the chorus of hip-hop stars criticizing Jay-Z for not asking Lil Wayne to headline the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Jay-Z and his company Roc Nation co-produce the NFL’s annual halftime show.
On Sept. 8, the music mogul announced award-winning Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar has been booked to perform at Super Bowl LIX. In a statement, Jay called Kendrick “a once-in-a-generation artist and performer.”
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While many social media users celebrated the decision — causing Kendrick to trend on X — some members of the rap community slammed Jay for snubbing New Orleans native Lil Wayne.
Nicki Minaj posted a string of Tweets to X on Monday, accusing Jay-Z of snubbing the “A Milli” rapper because he has issues with Wayne’s mentor Birdman and his frequent collaborator Drake.
“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego. Your hatred for Birdman, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!!” Minaj wrote on Sept. 9.
In a follow-up post, she continued: “God forbid if Wayne was to leave this earth right now, the culture would be in mourning. That’s why so many ppl keep saying to give our legends their flowers while they are still around to smell them. Sitting around all day playing games with ppl life & legacy.”
Birdman added in a post on X Monday: “Hatin shit 4real.”
Fellow New Orleans native Master P, who the city’s mayor named “entertainment ambassador” for Super Bowl LIX, also chimed in. He praised Kendrick Lamar in a post on Instagram, but said he thought Lil Wayne would have been a more suitable choice.
“Salute to Kendrick Lamar 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. As Ambassador of Entertainment in the City of New Orleans, I have to agree with the fans that #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. 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,” Master P wrote on Instagram, and tagged the NFL, Jay-Z and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell in the post.
Earlier this year, Lil Wayne admitted in a podcast interview with fellow rapper YG that he was interested in headlining the Apple Music-sponsored halftime show.
“I will not lie to you, I have not got a call,” Wayne said in the February interview, per Billboard. “But 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.”