The Super Bowl is coming to New Orleans this year, but don't expect to see hometown hero Lil Wayne on stage. After it was revealed that Compton MC Kendrick Lamar would be headlining the halftime show, some fans and rappers were outraged that Wayne had been missed for the gig. Now, the rapper himself is speaking out.
In a video shared on social media, Wayne thanked fans for their support before expressing his disappointment with the result.
“That hurt. It hurt a lot,” he said. “I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for the disappointment and automatically putting myself in that position mentally, like someone told me that was my position. I thought there was nothing better in my city than that spot, that stage, and that platform. That's why it hurt a lot.”
He said the fans saved him from a dark place.
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“I felt like s–t for not getting this opportunity,” she said. “And when I felt like s–t, you all reminded me that I wouldn't be s–t without you. It's an incredible reality.”
Still, Wayne said the situation “tore me apart.” “And I'm just trying to put myself back together.” He also expressed his feeling of “I let y'all down by not getting this opportunity. But I'm working on myself and I'm working.”
The decision to choose Kendrick Lamar over Wayne comes months after Lamar had a high-profile feud with Wayne protege Drake, with the pair trading scathing diss tracks in the spring. Other rappers under the Young Money/Cash Money umbrella, including Nicki Minaj and Birdman, have spoken out in Wayne’s favor and taken issue with JAY-Z, whose company, Roc Nation, runs the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Still others have defended the choice, pointing to Wayne’s recent lackluster performances and Lamar’s high-profile commercial success this year.
You can read his full message below:
From the message @LilTunechi pic.twitter.com/fBOEPbQrda
— Young Money (@youngmoneymerch) September 13, 2024