Yesterday, the big news dropped: Kendrick Lamar is headlining the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. But no one seems more upset about it than Lil Wayne’s fans. What started as a simple announcement quickly blew up into something much bigger and stranger. If it weren’t for Jay-Z and Roc Nation being in charge of curating the Super Bowl halftime acts, this wouldn’t even be an issue. In the past, no one cared what city the artist performed in. I mean, who remembers where Michael Jackson or Prince performed? It didn’t matter. Even Justin Timberlake’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction” with Janet Jackson—does anyone really care what city that happened in?
But I do remember that moment, and it feels like this is where Jay-Z steps into the picture. Today, tons of people expressed their disappointment. From what I’ve heard, there was a lot of buzz that Lil Wayne would be the one headlining this year. That was the rumor. So now, Lil Wayne’s fans are outraged—and it’s easy to see why. Kendrick Lamar being announced as the 2025 headliner didn’t just surprise people in the music world; it really stung in New Orleans. Fans feel like it’s a betrayal, almost like Jay-Z intentionally pushed Wayne aside. Now, rumors are swirling that Kendrick is just a puppet in some larger plan.
The truth behind this drama is going to leave you speechless. It all comes down to Lil Wayne’s legacy in Louisiana. Some might be asking, “What’s the big deal? Why does he have to perform in Louisiana?” But the reality is, we’re talking about disrespecting an icon.
It all started when Kendrick Lamar set social media on fire with the announcement that he would be performing at the Super Bowl halftime show on September 8th, 2024. He shared the news across all his platforms, making him the first rapper to headline the Super Bowl halftime show solo, the first rapper to perform twice at the Super Bowl, and the first artist to do it twice in the same decade.
Kendrick’s video announcement, “What’s up, everybody? My name is Kendrick Lamar, and I’ll be performing at Super Bowl 59,” quickly went viral, racking up 2.3 million views on YouTube in just two days. The news took everyone by surprise, and speculation immediately began swirling online. Many are saying this could shake up Drake’s career, especially since Kendrick is set to take the stage for one of the biggest performances of his life. One fan even wrote, “He’s about to perform ‘Not Like Us’ six times, and he’ll probably bring out all those artists whose shows were canceled in Canada.”
Lil Wayne’s fans are not happy with the latest Super Bowl announcement, and you can see why. With the big game set to take place in New Orleans, many people expected the NFL to showcase a local legend, like Lil Wayne, during the halftime show. So, when the NFL chose Kendrick Lamar instead, it left a lot of fans feeling disappointed. Even Lil Wayne’s engineer, Fabian Marasciullo, expressed his frustration on Instagram. He said, “Confused, disappointed, angry, but most of all, inspired. We will never again be in a position where we are at the mercy of someone else’s decision. We will make the decisions.”
It’s not just Lil Wayne’s team feeling this way. Wrestler AJ Francis also weighed in, stating, “Listen, I’m not hating on K-Dot hosting the Super Bowl halftime show. He’s definitely a big enough artist with enough hits to deserve it. But nobody should be headlining the Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans over Lil Wayne. Nobody.”
Here’s where it gets interesting: Jay-Z, through his company Roc Nation, is the one who picks the halftime show talent. Since Roc Nation partnered with the NFL in 2019, Jay-Z has been co-producing the show. He’s confident in his choice and had this to say about Kendrick Lamar: “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.”
Some people think Kendrick Lamar might be under Jay-Z’s influence, considering their connection. Jay-Z’s not exactly known for being clean—he’s been linked to all sorts of shady dealings, so anyone close to him often gets caught in the crossfire. That seems to be Kendrick’s situation right now. One comment even went as far as saying, “Kendrick Lamar finally gave up his integrity to Jay-Z, puppet ass n-word LMAO.” Another person agreed, stating, “True, he is being used as a pawn in a game that’s much bigger than him now.”
So, is Kendrick really just a puppet for Jay-Z? It’s a troubling thought, but it could be possible. Don’t dismiss it just yet—consider the context. Jay-Z and Drake have had a significant falling out. Back in 2015, Jay-Z was launching Tidal, his streaming service, and had recruited top talent like Daft Punk and Kanye West. Drake was also on board, but just days before the launch, he pulled out and instead teamed up with Apple to work on revamping iTunes Radio. Tidal struggled afterward, and Jay-Z blamed Drake, further fueling their rivalry.
Their feud isn’t new. In 2011, Drake threw shade at Jay-Z in his track “The Ride,” rapping, “You’re getting older, I see no threat in Yoda, I’m out here messing over the lives of these n-words that couldn’t [__] with my freshman floater.” By 2016, Drake’s “Summer 16” had lines like, “I used to want to be a Roc-A-Fella, then I turned into Jay, now I got a house in L.A., now I got a pool bigger than Ye.” This ongoing tension between them paints a picture of a deeper, unresolved conflict.
Jay-Z originally gave Drake a boost by featuring him on “Off That,” but things took a turn when industry politics got in the way. The situation heated up in 2022 when Drake made a surprising move by announcing his album Honestly, Nevermind for a June 17th release—just over a month before Beyoncé’s Renaissance was due to drop on July 29th. Fans quickly speculated that Drake’s timing was a deliberate attempt to overshadow Beyoncé’s album. Jay-Z, who’s known for being fiercely protective of his wife’s success, wasn’t too pleased about this.
To make matters more interesting, there’s chatter that Jay-Z’s decision to bring Kendrick Lamar into the mix was a strategic move to impact Drake’s standing in the industry. Kendrick’s announcement definitely shook things up. Now, the big question is whether Drake will respond to this brewing rivalry. We’ll have to wait and see.
