Stephen A Smith Lays Into Nicki Minaj Over Super Bowl Twitter Rant

Stephen A Smith and Nicki Minaj are world class trash talkers. They have build their personas on being combative, and speaking their mind when nobody else will. Or, sometimes, when nobody else asked. Such was the cast on September 9, when Nicki Minaj unleashed on JAY-Z and Roc Nation for what she felt was a slight against her Young Money mentor, Lil Wayne. Minaj felt like Weezy should have headlined the upcoming Halftime Show at the Super Bowl, but Roc Nation went with Kendrick Lamar. Stephen A Smith did not appreciate Minaj’s public tantrum.

Smith addressed Nicki Minaj directly during the September 11 episode of his podcast. He started out cordially, as one has come to expect from an SAS rant. He assured Minaj and the viewers that he had respect for her, and the things she’s managed to achieve. The analyst didn’t, however, respect Minaj’s decision to castigate JAY-Z. “Every time we turn around it’s something, Nicki,” he stated. “You disagree with the decision… but you have to talk to a brother like that?” Stephen A Smith is referring to the Nicki Minaj tweet in which she claimed that JAY-Z favors money over the culture that helped make him rich.

Read More: Drake Quietly Throws His Support Behind Nicki Minaj Amidst JAY-Z Feud

Stephen A Smith Felt Minaj’s Comments Were Selfish

Stephen A Smith also took time out from bashing Minaj to give JAY-Z his flowers. He pointed out that Hov has been instrumental in getting more R&B and hip hop artists on the Halftime Show stage since Roc Nation got involved with the NFL in 2019. “Do you know how hard it is,” Smith asked. “For a Black man to pull of what JAY-Z has pulled off?” He supported his case by mentioning the kinds of acts who played the Super Bowl prior to Roc Nation. The Who and Coldplay have probably never been said with more disdain.

Smith got a bit off topic, but he brought it back to his main point. He believes that Nicki Minaj is being unappreciative for what JAY-Z has accomplished for the culture as a whole. He also feels like Minaj is simply using the controversy as a means of drumming up free publicity for herself. In case the point wasn’t clear, Stephen A Smith ran down a list of the celebrities that Minaj has had beef with over the years. “It ain’t about you as an individual, it’s about us,” he asserted. “All of us, as Black people.”

Read More: Nicki Minaj Claims That JAY-Z Never Paid Her For Tidal Ownership Deal

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Fat Joe Believes ‘It’d Be No Hip-Hop’ At The Super Bowl If It Weren’t For Jay-Z

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The pick for Super Bowl LIX’s halftime headliner has proven controversial, drawing criticism for the NFL, Roc Nation, and Jay-Z in particular. This is familiar territory for the rapper-turned-mogul, whose partnership with the NFL has been criticized from the very beginning. But he has at least one supporter in his corner — former rap rival and fellow Golden Era pioneer Fat Joe, who defended Jay during a livestream on his Instagram account. During the wide-ranging monologue, Joe posited that while Jay-Z’s deal with the NFL might not be perfect, that there wouldn’t even be an opportunity for rappers like Kendrick Lamar or Lil Wayne to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.

While acknowledging the contingent of hip-hop heads who wanted Lil Wayne to headline in New Orleans, he argued that “it ain’t just one man’s decision” and “if he wasn’t doing shows, it’d be no hip-hop.” As an example, he pointed to the 2022 show, which was headlined by rap legends Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and featured 50 Cent, Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar, and joked that if not for Jay, the halftime show would feature performances of the viral country folk song, “Cotton-Eyed Joe.” While that might be an exaggeration on his part, the last arguable rap act to perform the halftime show was Black Eyed Peas in 2011, at the height of “I Gotta Feeling” and “Boom Boom Pow Pow.”

So, while it wasn’t Jay’s decision to book Kendrick (or snub Lil Wayne), Joe believes his influence has at least opened the door for non-traditional performers, as hip-hop continues to take it pretty far.

Did Drake Turn Down The Super Bowl 2025 Halftime Show?

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The NFL and Roc Nation selecting Kendrick Lamar to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show next February ruffled some feathers in hip-hop, but apparently, the Compton rapper’s chief rival, Drake, isn’t sweating it. In fact, according to one source, Drake’s claim to be “big as the Super Bowl” turned out to be true in more ways than one.

On the latest episode of the New Rory & Mal podcast, Mal made the audacious — and largely unsupported — claim that not only has Drake had the opportunity to headline the halftime show multiple times, but that he’s also turned it down every time. “Drake has been offered the Super Bowl show for some years now and has turned it down,” he said. “Probably four years, he’s been offered to perform at the Super Bowl, said no for whatever reason.”

Now, whether this is true or just damage control on the part of one of Aubrey’s most loyal angels remains to be corroborated by any other authority. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that Drake’s been offered the show — although, the timing of this reveal is made more suspicious by Drake’s recent lashing by the future headliner.

Meanwhile, due to the Super Bowl taking place in New Orleans, some folks believe that the headlining gig should have gone to Drake’s former mentor Lil Wayne — despite the show only being headlined by a local act four times in its near-60-year history. You can check out the full episode of New Rory & Mal below.

Drake Seemingly Weighs In On Kendrick Lamar Being Selected Over Lil Wayne For The Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Drake doesn’t seem too pleased about Kendrick Lamar being selected to perform during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. Wonder why!

The “First Person Shooter” rapper showed his support for Lil Wayne by sharing five photos of his mentor to an Instagram Story on Tuesday night, a likely reference to the controversy over the Louisiana native not being selected for the New Orleans-set game. (Nicki Minaj has a lot of thoughts.) Instead, the honor went to Lamar, who will likely perform Drake diss track “Not Like Us” for an audience of 125 million people and countless owls.

Earlier this year, Lil Wayne expressed his desire to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. “I will not lie to you, I have not got a call,” he said on YG’s 4HUNNID podcast. “But we all praying, we keeping our fingers crossed. I’m working hard. I’m going to make sure this next album and everything I do is killer, so I’m going make it very hard for them to… I want to just make it hard for them not to highlight the boy.”

Considering how well the New Orleans Saints played during a week 1 win against Carolina, maybe the Derek Carr-led team will make it to the Super Bowl and invite Lil Wayne to perform the National Anthem. Dream big!

Super Bowl LIX takes place on February 9, 2025.

Fat Joe Defends JAY-Z And Roc Nation Amidst Halftime Show Controversy

JAY-Z’s approval rating is not particularly high right now. The Roc Nation founder has come under fire for his decision to have Kendrick Lamar headline the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show. It makes perfect sense on paper, given Lamar’s popularity. The problem, of course is location. The Super Bowl is going to be in New Orleans next year, and fans believe New Orleans native Lil Wayne should have been given the spot. Celebrities of every ilk have come out of the woodwork to criticize Roc Nation as a result. One of the few who hasn’t is Fat Joe.

Fat Joe hopped on Instagram Live on September 10 to set the record straight. At least, as far as he saw it. The Terror Squad leader praised JAY-Z and Roc Nation for what they’ve managed to do over the last five years. Instead of focusing on the negative, i.e. the Wayne situation, Fat Joe stepped back and told the fans to consider what the Halftime Show looked like before Hov took over. He pointed out that very few hip hop artists were given the chance to headline prior to Roc Nation’s involvement in 2019. “They brought out Dr. Dre, Eminem, everybody, number one ratings,” he stated.

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Fat Joe Appreciates What Roc Nation Has Done Since 2019

Fat Joe has a point. Most of the artists who headlined prior to 2019 were in the rock and pop sphere. Since 2019, however, the presence of hip hop and R&B has been magnified. Usher performed last year. The Weeknd in 2021. The aforementioned Dr. Dre ensemble, which also included 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar, in 2022. Fat Joe wanted to emphasize the role that JAY-Z played in getting these artists on one of the biggest stages in the world. He also noted that hip hop heads tends to be most critical of the genre they love. “Of course, the hip hop community likes to attack hip hop,” he quipped.

Fat Joe has sympathy for Lil Wayne, and those who want Wayne to headline. He simply wants to give Hov his flowers when it comes to increasing hip hop’s presence at the Halftime Show. “How about [this], if he wasn’t doing shows, it’d be no hip hop,” the rapper asserted. “Be careful what you wish for.” Joe is on a short list of rappers who have stuck up for JAY-Z on the heels on the Halftime Show, but his points are worth considering. Wayne may not be performing, but a prime K. Dot isn’t a half bad alternative.

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Drake Quietly Throws His Support Behind Nicki Minaj Amidst JAY-Z Feud

It’s really Young Money versus the rest in 2024. Drake had to take on the whole industry by himself during the first half of the year. Now, the heat has shifted to Nicki Minaj. The rapper went absolutely ballistic on JAY-Z after it was revealed that Kendrick Lamar would be playing the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2005. Minaj felt like her label boss, Lil Wayne should have the chance to headline given that he’s from New Orleans. She had plenty to say on the matter, and it looks like Drake agrees.

Nicki Minaj went on a multi-tweet rant on September 9. She called out JAY-Z for prioritizing money over culture, and waxed poetic about Lil Wayne’s impact on the game. “You don’t know the half of what Lil Wayne has done for me and others,” she wrote. “Inspired your faves to wanna be a great MC. He never was in this for the money.” The last comment seemed like a pretty blatant dig at JAY-Z, who has always advertised himself as a business, man. DJ Akademiks reposted Nicki Minaj’s tweet on Instagram, and the 6 God himself liked it. We know Drake likes to frequent Ak’s content, but the fact that he liked the post, knowing that fans were going to see it, says a lot.

Read More: Drake Allegedly Couldn’t Help But Laugh About Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Announcement

Drake Also Posted A YMCMB Throwback Photo On IG

Drake’s silence on the matter, at least officially, has been interesting. He has spent months dissing every famous rapper who came at him on record. In the past few months, though, he’s taken a less direct and ambiguous approach. Drake has seemingly settled into posting cryptic messages on Instagram. Or, in the case of the Lil Wayne Halftime Show situation, purposely timed throwbacks. Shortly after the Super Bowl headliner was announced, and it wasn’t Wayne, Drake took to his IG Stories. He posted a photo of Weezy and the rest of the Young Money crew circa 2009. No caption, but it wasn’t needed. Fans knew what he was getting at.

Drake’s relationship with Nicki Minaj has been the subject of widespread speculation over the years. They have had their years on the outs, like 2015, but they seem to have reconciled. Drake popped out during Nicki Minaj’s Toronto concert earlier this year. He performed a couple songs with her, then told the crowd that he had to get back to his battle with Lamar (we know how that went). Minaj praised her Young Money brother before he got off stage, though. She dubbed Drake an “icon” and a “legend.”

Read More: Mal Affirms That Drake Has Turned Down Performing At The Super Bowl Multiple Times

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Why Nicki Minaj Is More Upset Than Anyone That Lil Wayne Isn’t Headlining The Super Bowl

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Fasten your seatbelts and pop a Dramamine, Nicki Minaj has chimed in on the discourse of the day: Why Lil Wayne isn’t headlining Super Bowl LIX’s halftime show. And, in typical Nicki fashion, her rant on Twitter (which we are never going to call “X”) turned out to be a wild ride.

First things first: I think we are all well aware of why Ms. Minaj would take this so personally. Without Wayne, her rap career very probably would have stalled out long before a “Super Bass” or “Starships,” let alone a “Super Freaky Girl” or “Say So” remix. And then, there’s her intriguing, seemingly one-sided feud with Jay-Z, the founder of Roc Nation, which books the Super Bowl halftime show.

But normally, Nicki reserves this level of unhinged for her beefs with other female rappers, like Latto and Megan Thee Stallion, so it’s kind of fascinating to see her go off like this on someone else’s behalf for once. Here’s what she said:

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. Sh*t sad. House N***ER TINGZ. but it’s GOOD FI DEM!!!!!!! No loyalty ? Welp. then n****z will keep son’ing you!!!!!

Another tweet with a political bent:

One nigga took a knee

The other nigga took the bag.

He gon get you “n***ers” in line every fkng time

So… There’s a lot to unpack here. Jay-Z and Roc Nation did sign their deal with the NFL to be the official music partner for the Super Bowl after Colin Kaepernick’s controversial anthem protests. This was something that rightly rubbed a lot of hip-hop fans the wrong way, suggesting that Jay valued the money and platform much more than pursuing meaningful social change. Now, he did secure financial commitments from the NFL for social justice programs, but as with any incremental change, that’s never going to be quite enough for the “burn it all down” crowd.

But to suggest that Lil Wayne is somehow a revolutionary or that booking Kendrick Lamar is a sellout move made to appeal to white people is… WOW.

She’s still going, by the way:

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.

For those who don’t know, Gee Roberson is the co-CEO of Blueprint Group, which has had a hand in managing the careers of several high profile artists, including Young Money’s roster with Drake, Wayne, and Nicki, although they parted ways with Nicki some time ago. However, he cut his teeth at Jay’s Roc-A-Fella Records a decade before; it seems Nicki is suggesting that he prioritized his relationship with Jay over those with his more recent charges. She, again, has a bit of a point about giving legends flowers while they’re still around, something hip-hop still struggles with. That’s not the same thing as booking him to perform the biggest corporate event of the year when he’s repeatedly proven that would be a bit of a bad bet this year alone.

When Nicki received pushback for her initial tweets and also she accused blogs covering the Super Bowl selection of being paid off (her go-to accusation, although I personally have never seen any of that money), she doubled down, railing in a follow-up tweet:

God will punish you. Mark my words.
The man that has not only pushed his pen the hardest, but gave the game more than 1 hip hop ICON as well on his watch? Represent the RAP game?!?!! The best RAPPER don’t represent the RAP GAME well enough 4u? Black ppl. Wow. If this don’t hurt your heart to read, it will one day. Look @ how our legends keep being treated. After they’ve given so much to us. Who are you?!!!! You GOD?!?!!!!! Judgmental swine DELETE!!!!!!! lol you will regret tweeting this. Life is funny that way. Don’t you dare turn your nose up @ Lil Wayne you dick munchin bozo.

She seemingly failed to notice all the tweets pointing out how the Super Bowl halftime show has only been headlined by a local act from the host city four times in the event’s 57-year history, but that’s Nicki for you. She’ll tell you a joke, but she won’t tell you a lie — just be real wrong, real loud, for most of a day.

The Super Bowl Halftime Shouldn’t Be Headlined By Host Cities’ Hometown Heroes

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Sorry RihannaJimmy Eat World is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show!

Could you imagine that? If, instead of the thrilling performance we got in 2023, we got an aging pop-punk band whose peak of popularity came a decade and half before? According to some music and sports fans on social media, that’s exactly what should have happened.

In case you’ve missed the kerfuffle over the upcoming Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in 2025, here’s a quick recap: Kendrick Lamar is headlining, but some folks are big mad it isn’t Lil Wayne, because the Super Bowl is being held in Wayne’s hometown, New Orleans.

That’s the general idea of the outcry of the past couple of days, but in fact, the discourse has gotten… shall we say, a little more salty than the subject warrants — and also, a bit unhinged. Cam’ron and Mase are sharing conspiracy theories on their show, Nicki Minaj is crashing out on Twitter, Boosie is involved… it’s kind of a lot.

Especially when you consider one simple fact that none of these people appear to be considering: The Super Bowl has only had a hometown act as the headliner a handful of times in the whole history of the Super Bowl Halftime Show. There is no tradition being stepped on here; hometown acts don’t headline the Super Bowl.

Hell, hometown teams rarely even play in the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl Halftime Show has never been the hometown celebration people are trying to make it out to be online. And if it was, there are artists from New Orleans that would be a far safer bet for the NFL.

Leaving aside Lil Wayne’s wild card status — he’s known for frequent show cancelations, sometimes right in the middle of a performance, while other times delivering some half-hearted renditions of fan faves and even admitting that he forgets his own lyrics — someone like Jon Batiste, a native of Metairie, Louisiana, would be a far more likely choice.

He’s got multigenerational appeal, his image and music are as non-threatening and party-ready as it gets, and he’s an Album Of The Year Grammy Award winner, who has composed for Disney, directed the music for late-night TV, and helps curate the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He’s a showbiz superathlete.

Looking around the league, if hometown performers were actually a tradition, you’d have to go back and rewrite several of the most memorable performances of the last 30 years. Michael Jackson? Not from Los Angeles. Prince? Not from Miami. BEYONCÉ (you have to say it like Tiffany Pollard)??? Not from New Orleans (although her mama from Louisiana).

Even in the past half-decade, you’d have to replace Shakira and Jennifer Lopez with Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine (who previously performed in 1999, one of the only four hometown headliners at the Super Bowl), The Weeknd with Outlaws (basically the only non-metal band on the Tampa music acts Wiki page with any level of mainstream notoriety), Usher with Ne-Yo, and Rihanna with, yes, Jimmy Eat World. No offense to these alternatives, but you get the drift: The stage demands an equal level of popularity and a reliable selection of absolutely massive hits.

And look, we all loved seeing Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg rock out for their hometown crowd in LA in 2022, but keep in mind that these two are 30 years deep in careers that comprise at least three of the most pivotal records in hip-hop’s history, a branding empire encompassing everything from cooking shows with Martha Stewart to on-site Olympics coverage, and more identity changes than Spider-Man in the ’90s.

They also had to bring a slew of fellow stars, from 50 Cent and Eminem to Mary J. Blige and, yes, Kendrick Lamar to expand their show’s appeal past California hip-hop heads in their ’50s. Because, yes, there are stadiums with 50,000 people to entertain, but the Super Bowl is a national event, averaging well over 120 million viewers. Those 50,000 attendees — many of whom aren’t even from the host cities in the first place — are a drop in the bucket compared to all the viewers tuning in at home.

So, yes, the NFL has greater priorities than simply paying homage to host cities’ hometown heroes. The whole reason the halftime show exists in its current form is because someone figured out pop stars keep viewers from changing the channel better than marching bands. So while it’ll be nice if Lil Wayne or Juvenile or Trombone Shorty or Big Freedia pop out during Kendrick’s set, Kendrick is headlining for a whole lot of good reasons — none of which were ever hometown pride.

Lil Wayne Voices Desire To Play Super Bowl Halftime Show In Resurfaced Clip

Kendrick Lamar just made another Young Money enemy. The rapper already took out Drake with his historic run of diss tracks. Now, he’s snatched the Super Bowl Halftime Show out from under the New Orleans hometown hero, Lil Wayne. To be clear, Lamar was given the spot, and given his recent run of hits, the booking makes total sense. It’s more the fact that New Orleans fans feel like Wayne should’ve been prioritized given his background. Lil Wayne has stated, point blank, that he wants to lead a Super Bowl Halftime Show in his city.

The statement was made back in February. Lil Wayne went YG’s 4HUNNID podcast to discuss his legacy and his relationship to New Orleans. Naturally, the topic of the Super Bowl came up, given that it will take place in the Big Easy come 2025. Weezy told the host that he hadn’t been contacted about playing at the Halftime Show, but he remained hopeful that he would. “We all praying, we keeping our fingers crossed,” he explained. “I’m working hard.” Lil Wayne said that the desire to headline the Super Bowl was actually motivating him during the recording sessions for his upcoming album.

Read More: Master P Wants Kendrick Lamar To Bring Out Lil Wayne For Super Bowl Halftime Show

Lil Wayne Was ‘Praying’ For The Halftime Show Call

“I’m going to make sure this next album and everything I do is killer,” the rapper asserted. His reasoning? If the next album is undeniable, than Roc Nation and the NFL would have no choice but to book him. “I’m going make it very hard for them to [pass me up],” Lil Wayne stated. “I want to just make it hard for them not to highlight the boy.” Unfortunately, Weezy is still working on Tha Carter VI, with no release date set. JAY-Z and the Roc Nation team opted for Kendrick Lamar instead. Lil Wayne hasn’t commended on the perceived snub. His Young Money family, however, has been plenty loud.

Nicki Minaj blasted JAY-Z on Twitter. She didn’t mention names, but the allusions to Colin Kaepernick made it very clear who she was talking about. “One n**ga took a knee,” she wrote. “The other n**ga took the bag.” Birdman, meanwhile, tagged Minaj and Drake in what practically read like a declaration of war against Roc Nation. “These n**gaz P**si @NICKIMINAJ @Drake @LilTunechi YMCMB,” he tweeted out. “I’m make these n**gaz respek us on Gladys.”

Read More: Lil Wayne Fans & Collaborators Express Outrage Over Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Big Boy Thinks “Something Was Done” To Keep Lil Wayne From Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar has really been at the center of rap controversy in 2024. He was the consensus winner of the Drake battle, and now he’s set to perform at the Superbowl Halftime Show in 2025. It makes a lot of sense, frankly. Lamar is bigger than ever, having just scored the most significant single of his career. That hasn’t stop the rest of the rap community from criticizing his selection, though. Many have come out and stated that Lil Wayne should have been picked, given that his hometown of New Orleans is the location of the next Super Bowl. Big Boy is one of them.

The legendary radio host sat down with TMZ to discuss the controversial snubbing. Big Boy did not mince words when it came to his thoughts on the matter. He felt Lil Wayne should have been chosen to represent New Orleans. Furthermore, he thinks there’s some fishy things going on behind the scenes. He didn’t mention anybody by name, but JAY-Z and Roc Nation were ultimately the ones who made the final decision. “Something was done there,” Big Boy asserted. “I feel like there’s some people, getting back to the Super Bowl, saying, ‘There’s something there. There’s a reason why.’ And I don’t think people are so far off.”

Read More: Lil Wayne Performing At Super Bowl LIX Would Be A “Big Mistake,” Art Director Argues

Big Boy Wanted To See Young Money Reunite

The radio host also told TMZ that dismissed the notion that Lil Wayne is not relevant enough to play the Halftime Show. He pointed to Wayne’s legacy, his catalog, and the fact that he still appears on popular songs today. Furthermore, Wayne would have been able to call upon Young Money proteges like Drake and Nicki Minaj to make special appearances. “You don’t have to dig Wayne up,” Big Boy stated. “You don’t have to say, ‘Hey, remember Lil Wayne? Like, we need to get someone from New Orleans.’” The radio legend proceeded to dub Weezy the definitive New Orleans artist. “He’s that guy,” Big Boy said. “Young Money was that group.”

Big Boy’s sentiments have been shared by other big names like Master P and Cam’ron. The decision to go with Lamar, however, has fueled speculation that JAY-Z is less friendly with the Young Money camp than the public initially thought. By choosing Lamar, JAY-Z has slighted both Lil Wayne and Drake, who will undoubtedly be a focus of Lamar’s Super Bowl performance. It may have been inadvertent, but the fans have seen JAY-Z wield his power to throw digs at other artists. It’s not proven, but it’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility.

Read More: Birdman Breaks His Silence On Lil Wayne’s Super Bowl Snub

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