One aspect of the Roc Nation-guided Super Bowl halftime show editions includes a local angle. When the game was in Miami, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed to appeal to the local Latino community. In 2022, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar appeared in Inglewood, California, right in their respective backyards. Usher performed last year in Las Vegas, where he had just completed a residency.
So when it was announced that the 2025 Super Bowl would be played in New Orleans, rapper Lil Wayne was near the top of the short list for headliners. With the announcement that it would be a different rapper, Lamar, the exclusion of Lil Wayne will be a point of controversy, speculation and debate for the next five months.
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Let’s get this out of the way first: Lil Wayne is a big enough artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. He’s one of the game’s most prominent artists and can create a dynamic show. Songs like “Lollipop” and “A Milli” are crossover hits. Add cameos from his former Hot Boys members and a closer of “Back That Azz Up,” there’s the makings for a memorable show that appeals to wider audiences and pays homage to the 504 in one motion.
For his part, Lil Wayne has been adamant in his desire to do the show. “I will not lie to you, I have not got a call or nothing,” he told YG on his 4HUNNID podcast back in February. “We praying. We keeping our fingers crossed. I’m working hard … I wanna just make it hard for them not to holler at the boy.”
Yet Roc Nation and the NFL went with Lamar, which has led many in social media to debate who deserved the slot more. Fellow New Orleans legend Master P chimed in, leaving a comment on Instagram in defense of Lil Wayne’s position: “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.”
Much of the confusion rests on whose decision this ultimately was, as people are placing the onus on a combination of Roc Nation, the NFL and the city of New Orleans itself. Jay Cicero, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and a Super Bowl LIX Host Committee member, offered some clarity in an email to Andscape: “It is the NFL’s decision alone for all entertainment for the Super Bowl. We found out about it at the same time everyone else did this past weekend.”
Rapper Lil Wayne performs with The Roots during the 2024 Roots Picnic at The Mann on June 2 in Philadelphia.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Live Nation Urban
The entire debate is complicated, and both sides have an argument. And two things can be true. One, Lil Wayne is one of the biggest rap artists from New Orleans who could carry a show like the Super Bowl. That’s not really up for debate. But the other truth is that Lamar is undeniably a bigger star and the biggest name in rap right now. And while the local angle is a nice tie-in for Lil Wayne, having an artist native to the city perform at the Super Bowl has mostly only happened in recent years, and the connection has been tangential at best with the Snoop/Dre/Lamar performance being the only one where performers were in their hometowns. That isn’t to say the league doesn’t pay tribute to local artists for the Super Bowl halftime show. For instance, when Super Bowl LIII was played in Atlanta in 2019, Maroon 5 was the headliner, and Atlanta native Big Boi of Outkast got a cameo appearance. So, the door is still open for local representation, as I can only imagine this would always be the case.
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I’d fully expect some contingent of New Orleans legends to land on the stage, from Juvenile to Master P. Seeing No Limit and Cash Money together would be a triumphant moment and a continuation of Lamar’s message of unity from his Pop Out concert earlier this year.
Then, of course, there’s the option of having a cameo from Lil Wayne himself. Lamar has made no secret that he loves and admires Lil Wayne. The two have a song together on Lil Wayne’s album, The Carter V, and Lamar has quoted and referred to Lil Wayne in songs throughout his career. The two would make some dynamic moments. The monkey wrench here lies in Lil Wayne’s friendship/partnership with Lamar’s rival, Drake. Lil Wayne taking the stage with Lamar would be a declaration of loyalty to Lamar and another blow for Drake to withstand.
Maybe that factors into Lamar’s chess match with Drake. The president of TDE, Punch, already tweeted out an opening pitch to the president of Young Money Entertainment, Mack Maine, insinuating that there’s potential for a collaboration unless it was just a troll job. An official collaboration would only feed into Lamar’s stance on Drake. So much of Lamar’s angle in the feud has revolved around the premise that Drake doesn’t have real friends, and people closest to him can’t be trusted. “Not Like Us” even has a bar about Drake double-crossing Lil Wayne a few years ago.
Now Lamar might be putting Lil Wayne in a position to either perform with the rival of one of his closest industry pals or turn down a once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform at the Super Bowl in his hometown out of loyalty to one guy. It’s quite the conundrum for Mr. Carter, who has yet to say anything even as rappers Birdman and Nicki Minaj have taken to Twitter to voice their extreme displeasure that Lil Wayne was not asked to perform.
Still, I hope that there’s something worked out that allows Lil Wayne to be on the stage in some capacity. Especially one that honors his legacy and role in New Orleans rap history. Fans who have spent the last day discrediting his contributions as a means to boost Lamar are just as off base as people acting like Lil Wayne can’t put on a tremendous show that is worthy of the halftime stage. The truth is somewhere in the middle, with the biggest truth being that Lamar is objectively a hotter act. The show will hold up, and it would just be an even bigger spectacle if Lil Wayne finds himself performing with other New Orleans legends and a kid from Compton, California, with the world at his feet.
David Dennis Jr. is a senior writer at Andscape, and the author of the award-winning book “The Movement Made Us: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride.” David is a graduate of Davidson College.
