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Lil Wayne said he was deeply hurt when Kendrick Lamar was announced to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in New Orleans, Wayne’s hometown. In a video posted September 13, 2024, Wayne explained that he had mentally pictured himself on that stage, though he had not been told the performance was his. He also thanked supporters for helping him recover from the disappointment.
What happened
On September 8, 2024, Kendrick Lamar was announced as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LIX, scheduled for February 9, 2025, in New Orleans. Five days later, Wayne addressed the news in a video posted to Instagram. ABC/GMA reported the announcement and Wayne’s response; BET also reported his reaction and the game schedule.
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Why the New Orleans stage mattered to Wayne
Wayne is from New Orleans, and he described the halftime platform in his city as an opportunity he had wanted. His hope was public before the selection: ABC/GMA reported that in a February 2024 appearance on YG’s 4HUNNID podcast, he said he had not received a call but was hoping and working to make himself difficult to overlook.
That earlier ambition helps explain the personal weight of the announcement. Wayne was not simply discussing a major performance slot; he had imagined what it would mean to perform on that stage in his hometown.
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What Wayne said—and what he did not claim
ABC/GMA’s September 13 report transcribed Wayne describing his reaction: “That hurt. Hurt a lot,” he continued. “It hurt a whole lot. I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a let down. And just automatically mentally putting myself in that position.”
He also said: “I thought there was nothing – I thought there was nothing better than that spot, than that stage and that platform in my city,” he said. “So that hurt. It hurt a whole lot.”
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Wayne did not say he had been promised the halftime slot. His own account was that he had placed himself in that position mentally “like somebody told me that was my position,” and had not prepared for the possibility of a letdown. The reporting does not establish that organizers offered him the performance or that he was formally promised it.
“It broke me,” and supporters helped
Wayne spoke about the emotional impact while expressing gratitude to people who reached out. ABC/GMA transcribed him saying: “So like I said, it broke me and I’m just trying to put me back together, but my god have you all helped me,” he continued. “I really appreciate that. I really do. I feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that opportunity. But I’m working on me and I’m working. So thank you.”
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep the story in perspective
Lamar was the announced performer; Wayne was not selected. Wayne’s remarks focus on his own hopes, hurt, and gratitude to supporters. They do not establish a conflict between the two artists or explain the selection decision. In its announcement coverage, Pitchfork quoted Jay-Z praising Lamar as “truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer”; that statement concerns Lamar and should not be read as an explanation of Wayne’s disappointment.
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The cited reports are contemporaneous accounts from September 2024. They establish what Wayne said in response to the announcement, but do not establish whether he or other participants made additional statements afterward.
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