On Sunday, Super Bowl representatives announced that Kendrick Lamar would perform at the event on Feb. 9, 2025 to be held in New Orleans. Immediately, fans of New Orleans native Lil Wayne wondered why the local was not chosen as the key performer.
Percy “Master P” Miller, who is now the Entertainment Ambassador of the city, took to Instagram to echo the sentiment of the fans.
“As Ambassador of Entertainment in the City of New Orleans, I have to agree with the fans that [Lil Wayne] should be a part of this celebration as well,” Miller wrote in his caption. “He’s one of the greatest Hip 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!”
Many in the industry speculated that Wayne, born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was snubbed by Super Bowl music coordinator Jay-Z. Nicki Minaj, who has been on Wayne’s label Young Money since 2009, took to Instagram on Monday to express her discontentment.
“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. God ain’t sleep. Gee Roberson you will learn that, too. Very soon,” she wrote, before plugging her DC performance later this evening.
She appeared to rant against Jay-Z, tweeting via X, “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?!!!!!!!!!!! Nola what’s good?!!!!!! Eminem stood firm on having 50Cent come out. A white man. Shit sad.” Minaj also included several expletives and added, “And btw, you don’t know the half of what lil Wayne has done for me & others. Wayne had drake & I on his tour w/no papers signed. He was on all of my mixtapes w/no papers signed. This man has literally changed the FACE of hip hop. The hair too. IYKYK. He inspired so many to tat their faces & get locks. Inspired your faves to wanna be a great MC. he never was in this for the money. It’s always been for the love of music.”
Kendrick Lamar, who had a major hit this summer with “Not Like Us,” collaborated with Wayne in 2019 on the song “Mona Lisa” which appears to take place via 3D artistry in the French Quarter and other New Orleans locales. Some fans on Reddit speculated if Lil Wayne would be a guest performer and perhaps perform the song the two collaborated on. However, Lamar has spent most of 2024 writing a series of diss tracks against Young Money performer Drake, who is also the subject of “Not Like Us.”
In February, Lil Wayne, who has appeared on ESPN SportsCenter was interviewed on the popular YG YouTube series and was asked if he would perform at the Super Bowl to which he replied, “Duh!” He said he knew the Super Bowl was going to be in New Orleans but said he had not received a call but was praying. “I’m working hard on this next album to make it hard for them not to [call me],” he stated.
Lil Wayne was pardoned by former President Donald Trump in 2020. The rapper was found to be carrying a gun and bullets when police searched a private plane in Miami in December 2019. He faced up to 10 years in prison.
