Recently, Kendrick Lamar was announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. Ever since then, rumors have been floating around that Drake was given the opportunity in the past but turned it down on multiple occasions. This was first revealed by Mal on New Rory & Mal earlier this week, though his co-hosts and viewers were immediately skeptical.
According to Elliott Wilson, however, these rumors are true. In a recent episode of HipHopDX’s The Bigger Picture, he shared details of Drake’s alleged Halftime Show offers. He claimed that Drake was first asked to perform at the Super Bowl in 2020 in Miami, and then the following year in Tampa. Of course, these Halftime Shows ended up being headlined by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, and later The Weeknd.
Jay-Z and Drake perform at Yankee Stadium on September 13, 2010 in New York, New York.
“I have some intel. I thought Mal was capping, I thought he was lying about Drake turning down the Super Bowl. That sounded wild. It was like, ‘Four times? Who turns down the Super Bowl that many times?’” Wilson explained. “I have it on authority, multiple sources have told me that Drake has indeed turned down the Super Bowl. He actually turned down the first two [since JAY-Z’s NFL partnership] — the one in Miami and The Weeknd one… These guys are rivals with each other, they’ve had their good times and bad times with each other. But businesswise, JAY-Z wanted Drake on that Super Bowl stage and he turned it down twice.”
Wilson went on, defending Jay-Z amid claims that Kendrick’s headlining spot is a slight against Drake. “So now, years later, when the opportunity’s asked of Kendrick and Kendrick says, ‘Yes,’ is Jay not playing fair there?” he wondered. “Should Drake feel a way about it when he knows himself he’s had the opportunity to do it but he’s turned it down twice?” What do you think of Elliott Wilson insisting that Drake has turned down the Super Bowl Halftime Show multiple times? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Roger Goodell praises the selection of Kendrick Lamar as the Super Bowl halftime performer.
Speaking with TMZ Sports, Goodell revealed he is “feeling great” about taking the spot and he is a fan of the rapper.
Kendrick Lamar will take center stage at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9, 2025. Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the NFL made the announcement, sparking excitement for the globally anticipated performance.
Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, founder of Roc Nation, praised Lamar’s influence: “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision… His impact will be felt for years to come.”
Seth Dudowsky, Head of Music at the NFL, echoed this sentiment, saying, “Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar… Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop.”
Apple Music’s Oliver Schusser emphasized the excitement: “Apple is thrilled to bring this show, starring the absolutely incomparable Kendrick Lamar, to fans worldwide with Apple Music’s industry-leading Spatial Audio quality.”
Lamar, a Grammy and Emmy-winning artist and co-founder of pgLang, continues to redefine hip-hop, earning accolades like a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album DAMN. and his chart-topping collaborations earlier this year.
Lamar’s Super Bowl performance will be creatively directed by pgLang and produced by DPS, with Roc Nation’s Jesse Collins as executive producer and Hamish Hamilton as director.
Apple Music’s ongoing partnership with the NFL and Roc Nation has already produced record-breaking halftime shows, and with Kendrick Lamar at the helm, this year’s performance is set to be another groundbreaking moment in Super Bowl history.
Lil Wayne has made his first statement after not being selected to headline the Super Bowl. Appearing in a video, Weezy F Baby thanked his fans for supporting him.
“First of all, I wanna say forgive me for the delay,” Wayne said. “I wanna say, first of all, I had to get strength. I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking. I wanna say thank you. I wanna say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, all the love and the support out there. Your words turned into arms and held me up when I tried to fall back. That hurt. Hurt a lot. You know what I’m talking about. It hurt a whole lot.
“I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for just automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position. So I blame myself for that.”
With widespread support that Lil Wayne should have the Super Bowl stage in NOLA, Drake posted images online. It is worth noting that Drake’s current foe, Kendrick Lamar, has the Super Bowl spot.
Kendrick Lamar’s selection as the Super Bowl halftime performer has rubbed members of the Hip-Hop community the wrong way. Many, including Wayne’s engineer, Marasciullo, believe it should have been Lil Wayne.
“Confused. Disappointed. Angry. But most of all, inspired,” Marasciullo wrote. “Will never again be in a position or have the in a position where we are at the mercy of someone else’s decision. We will make the decisions.”
Kendrick Lamar will take center stage at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9, 2025. Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the NFL made the announcement today, sparking excitement for the globally anticipated performance.
Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, founder of Roc Nation, praised Lamar’s influence: “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision… His impact will be felt for years to come.”
Seth Dudowsky, Head of Music at the NFL, echoed this sentiment, saying, “Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar… Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop.”
Apple Music’s Oliver Schusser emphasized the excitement: “Apple is thrilled to bring this show, starring the absolutely incomparable Kendrick Lamar, to fans worldwide with Apple Music’s industry-leading Spatial Audio quality.”
Lamar, a Grammy and Emmy-winning artist and co-founder of pgLang, continues to redefine hip-hop, earning accolades like a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album DAMN. and his chart-topping collaborations earlier this year.
PgLang will creatively direct Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, which will be produced by DPS. Roc Nation’s Jesse Collins will serve as executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton will serve as director.
Apple Music’s ongoing partnership with the NFL and Roc Nation has already produced record-breaking halftime shows. With Kendrick Lamar at the helm, this year’s performance is set to be another groundbreaking moment in Super Bowl history.
Over the weekend, Kendrick Lamar announced that he’ll be headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans in February. While many fans were happy to hear the news, particularly after the massive year he’s had, others were outraged. Immediately, social media users began to sound off about what some believed to be a slight against Lil Wayne, who’s from New Orleans. This included Nicki Minaj, who took to X earlier this week to go off on Jay-Z and Roc Nation for the decision.
“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego,” she wrote in part. “Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!!” Her rant didn’t sit well with Stephen A Smith, who responded on his show.
He called Nicki out for having beef with so many people, claiming that she didn’t have to drag Jay-Z simply because she didn’t agree with the choice. “Every time we turn around it’s something, Nicki,” he said. “You disagree with the decision… but you have to talk to a brother like that?” Now, she’s taken to X to respond and didn’t hold back in the slightest. She even jokingly confused Smith with Shannon Sharpe, who went viral yesterday for accidentally going live on Instagram during sex.
“Oh look yall another paid laughy taffy alien who only comes off his knees to turn around & back dat azz up. LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Stephen, we don’t care. Ima tell u right now. We don’t care. If I say more it’ll be your fault. Sit down ugly,” she wrote. “Stephen wasn’t you just moanin & groanin on live in your bedroom ? LMFAOOOO. And since we here in women’s business…ladies; when should men just shave their full head? Should it take its normal course like SAS Sassy ass or should he look into lace fronts?” What do you think of Nicki Minaj going off on Stephen A Smith on X? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Everyone is talking about the decision to select Kendrick Lamar over Lil Wayne for this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. Overall, an overwhelming number of people are team Weezy in this ongoing debate, and we can see why. Obviously, Kendrick is a great pick, but the Hot Boys member has just as many if not more classics. While you can argue his performing chops aren’t what they used to be, seeing him rock one of the biggest stages in the world, especially in his home state of Louisiana, would be a sight to see. Just imagine Lil Wayne going setting the field ablaze with “A Milli”.
All of this back-and-forth online has us daydreaming about this very possibility. The cultural impact and the iconic performance from Wayne on this Carter III single would “feed families” as the kids say nowadays. However, we are still holding out hope that Kendrick will bring out one of his biggest influences for a special guest performance. Not only would that be a viral story, but it would be another W for the culture of hip-hop, much like the halftime performance back in Inglewood a few years ago. For now, just picture what it would be it like to her Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” and tell us how happy it would make you feel in the comments below.
Through the pencil, and leak on the sheet of the tablet in my mind ‘Cause I don’t write s***, ’cause I ain’t got time ‘Cause my seconds, minutes, hours go to the almighty dollar And the almighty power of that ch-cha-cha-cha-chopper Sister, brother, son, daughter, father; mother-f*** a copper Got the Maserati dancin’ on the bridge, p***y poppin’
The Super Bowl halftime show is causing a stir as some segments of Hip-Hop and its fans think Lil Wayne should take the stage instead of Kendrick Lamar in Wayne’s hometown of New Orleans.
With some pointing the finger at JAY-Z, Fat Joe offers a different take.
“Years ago the beef with the NFL was Black people weren’t represented,” Fat Joe said. “”They brought out Dr. Dre, Eminem, everybody, number one ratings. Yeah JAY-Z’s a big voice but he has to go through the NFL ranks, Roger Goodell, and all that. It ain’t just one man’s decision.
“How about if he wasn’t doing these shows it would be no Hip-Hop. It never was Hip-Hop.”
With widespread support that Lil Wayne should have the Super Bowl stage in NOLA, Drake posted images online. It is worth noting that Drake’s current foe, Kendrick Lamar, has the Super Bowl spot.
Kendrick Lamar’s selection as the Super Bowl halftime performer has rubbed members of the Hip-Hop community the wrong way. Many, including Wayne’s engineer, Marasciullo, believe it should have been Lil Wayne.
“Confused. Disappointed. Angry. But most of all, inspired,” Marasciullo wrote. “Will never again be in a position or have the in a position where we are at the mercy of someone else’s decision. We will make the decisions.”
Kendrick Lamar will take center stage at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9, 2025. Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the NFL made the announcement today, sparking excitement for the globally anticipated performance.
Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, founder of Roc Nation, praised Lamar’s influence: “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision… His impact will be felt for years to come.”
Seth Dudowsky, Head of Music at the NFL, echoed this sentiment, saying, “Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar… Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop.”
Apple Music’s Oliver Schusser emphasized the excitement: “Apple is thrilled to bring this show, starring the absolutely incomparable Kendrick Lamar, to fans worldwide with Apple Music’s industry-leading Spatial Audio quality.”
Lamar, a Grammy and Emmy-winning artist and co-founder of pgLang, continues to redefine hip-hop, earning accolades like a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album DAMN. and his chart-topping collaborations earlier this year.
PgLang will creatively direct Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, which will be produced by DPS. Roc Nation’s Jesse Collins will serve as executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton will serve as director.
Apple Music’s ongoing partnership with the NFL and Roc Nation has already produced record-breaking halftime shows. With Kendrick Lamar at the helm, this year’s performance is set to be another groundbreaking moment in Super Bowl history.
Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar is embarking on yet another milestone as the first solo rapper to headline the Super Bowl LIX Halftime show for Apple Music. The announcement arrived last weekend in a commanding video showing Lamar in front of a large American flag. Of course, this isn’t the first time K.Dot has taken to the Halftime stage, as he previously joined the ranks of Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg back in 2022. For fans, the powers that be made the perfect pick for the February 9, Black History Month performance. However, with the big game being hosted in New Orleans, the report of Lamar being chosen over hometown hero Lil Wayne ruffled a few feathers.
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar stated in a press release. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.” It’s a confident statement coming from an artist whose career only continues to rise. The rapper has had a monumental 2024 with the “Not Like Us” Drake diss takeover that rocked the boat of Drizzy’s career. The Pop-Out concert in Lamar’s L.A. stomping grounds broke records and became the talk of the internet for weeks. Additionally, with 17 Grammys under his belt and respect as a culturally conscious rapper who sold out his The Big Steppers Tour, one would think that choosing him for the Super Bowl would make sense. Yet, Young Money came out on social media swinging with allegations that Weezy F. Baby was snubbed.
Do Hometown Artists Deserve Priority?
A quick look at the list of Super Bowl Halftime performances will show you that, more often than not, the artist isn’t from the hosted city. Sure, Dr. Dre was able to coordinate a tribute to his career at Super Bowl LVI in L.A., but that isn’t consistent in its history. It is true that Lil Wayne helped put Lousiana Rap on the map, carving out one of the most successful Hip Hop careers to date. His Tha Carter series have been hailed as untouchable classics, with millions of units moved, and one can’t forget his 27 Grammy nominations and five wins. However, there didn’t seem to be the same uproar in 2019, when Maroon 5 headlined Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, leaving local Hip Hop artists in the dust.
Can we wrap this Jay-Z Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar Debate up by midnight.
It’s been 58 mf Super Bowl performances and like 2 of them were in their home towns.
“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” said Jay-Z. Five years ago, Roc Nation and Hov partnered with the NFL to enhance their social justice efforts and live experiences. For many, this means that Jay-Z has been calling the Halftime shots. “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.” It may be a sentiment that New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell aggrees with, considering she was born and raised in Los Angeles, herself.
The Young Money Meltdown
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.…
It didn’t take long after Kendrick Lamar’s news was shared that Hip Hop fans stormed social media with hot takes. Lil Wayne’s admirers swiftly defended the rapper and accused Jay-Z and Roc Nation of foiling his Nola Halftime opportunity. Then, Birdman chimed in with a message on X. “These n-ggaz Pussi @NICKIMINAJ @Drake @LilTunechi YMCMB. I’m make these n-ggaz respek us on Gladys.” He followed up with, “Hatin sh*t 4real.” It’s clear that he believes Wayne was pushed out of the running by nefarious higher-ups, and Nicki Minaj echoed those points of view in a lengthy rant of her own.
“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego,” The Pink Friday icon wrote. “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.” Amplifying her position, Minaj also referenced Colin Kaepernick, stating, “One n*gga took a knee The other n*gga took the bag. He gon get you ‘n*ggers’ in line every fkng time.” She also seemed to target Hov or Roc Nation by calling them “spiteful and evil.” It was a tirade that was shared near and far.
Amid fans pointing out Weezy’s Rap GOAT status, his peers surfaced with support, as well. Master P is an icon from The Big Easy, and while he gave Lamar a “salute,” he suggested that Lil Wayne be a part of the Halftime show, too. “Well deserved, he’s one of the hottest music artists in the world and has one of the biggest songs right now,” Percy Miller said of Kendrick. “As Ambassador of Entertainment in the City of New Orleans I have to agree with the fans that @liltunechi #LilWayne should be a part of this celebration as well.” He added, “He’s one of the greatest Hop 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! We have to give our legends their flowers while they are here.” Social media users have debated the concept of Wayne’s recent relevance as opposed to his overall status in Hip Hop. The arguments have become heated as Hip Hop heads go toe-to-toe.
P wasn’t the only Louisiana artist to speak up. Boosie Badazz worked his caps lock button overtime when expressing his disdain for Lamar’s choosing. He used the hashtag “#idontrespectit” and pointed out that the Los Angeles Super Bowl’s Halftime show featured prominent artists from the city. “ALL YALL ACTING LIKE YALL COOL WITH HOW THEY PLAYING IT FOR THE SUPERBOWL SMH THE MOST CULTURAL CITY N THE USA( NEW ORLÉANS)ITS A SMACK N THE FACE TO EVERY HIP HOP LEGEND FROM LOUISIANA @MasterPMiller @BIRDMAN5STAR.” Juvenile also has a thing or two to say, even calling out NFL executives for exploiting the city without including the artists.
“I don’t see how the f*ck y’all don’t have Lil Wayne doing the halftime show,” the “Back That Azz Up” hitmaker said in a video. “Somebody that has a whole bunch of f*cking hits and somebody that really deserves it and somebody that can bring out multiple artists of all genres. Think about it.” Others like Cam’ron and Hurricane Chris have also expressed the necessity of Wayne’s inclusion.
Kendrick Vs. Wayne’s Live Performances Questioned
It’s unclear at this stage what Kendrick Lamar and Co. have in store for what is shaping to be another epoch-making moment for Hip Hop. Lamar’s live performances have been artistic, cultural staples with symbolism that causes millions to dissect the historical significances. We watched this unfold for months as every lyric of “Not Like Us” was analyzed, from podcasts to tweets to TikToks and more mainstream media. When we received the accompanying music video, it further pushed those discussions.
This point is currently being debated as people share comparisons of Kendrick’s live shows to what Wayne has to offer. The latter is dynamic as he brings favorites to the stage, hyping the crowd from beginning to end with songs imprinted in our minds and Hip Hop culture. Still, some have argued that as a headliner at the Halftime show, it wouldn’t have the same impact. While the call for some sort of Young Money reunion at the next Super Bowl rages, attendees of this year’s Essence Festival pointed out that something of the kind has already taken place. Essence Fest was hosted in New Orleans and featured a Hot Boys reunion involving Wayne, Birdman, Juvenile, B.G., and Mannie Fresh. It went off with a bang, but Kendrick Lamar’s defenders contest that Dot would highlight more of a conscious, cultural space that is needed in today’s climate. Fans also surfaced online with allegations that Wayne forgets his lyrics while performing; some saw that as a risk.
Kendrick is definitely bringing out Wayne, but why do you think wayne could do a 15 min high energy performance ?!?!?!? He’s on heavy drugs and can barely remember his words to songs
For the most part, Lil Wayne keeps himself away from the hustle and bustle of internet shenanigans. It hasn’t kept his name off of trending topics lists, obviously, but there was a moment during a 2016 interview with ABC News’ Nightline, he made eyebrow-raising statements about the Black Lives Matter movement. He was asked his thoughts on the topic, and Weezy questioned what it even was. He said the concept of BLM “just sounds weird,” and became increasingly agitated as the line of questioning continued. Even T.I. came forward to speak out against Wayne’s remarks.
“I don’t know, that you put a name on such a — that’s what it was. It’s not a name; it’s not whatever, whatever,” Lil Wayne said. “It’s somebody got shot by a policeman for a f*cked up reason. I am a young, Black, rich n*gga. If that don’t let you know that America understand Black n*ggas matter these days, I don’t what it is.” He added, “I don’t know what you mean. Now, don’t come at me with that.” Elsewhere, “I don’t think I got to express this, but it’s who you are. You get treated accordingly. I don’t know nothing about that, what they’re talking about. I’m rich ass n*gga. Man, don’t get mad ’cause I’m rich and I don’t see none of that.” He then called himself a “gangbanger” as he continued to dismiss and distance himself from the movement.
This alone wouldn’t cut someone off from being a Halftime performer. However, with Roc Nation at the helm wanting to highlight social justice efforts in the NFL to recover from the league’s ongoing allegations of racism and lack of BLM support, one can only imagine if comments such as these may thwart those efforts. Further, Lil Wayne’s pardon from former President Donald Trump and his rumored support for the 2024 candidate has also made Wayne a target. Yet, being a Hip Hop MAGA supporter in and of itself also wouldn’t keep him from the Halftime stage. Who knows, we could get a Wayne or Young Money appearance in some way at next year’s Super Bowl. Whether or not that materializes remains to be seen, but Drake is probably somewhere bracing himself for the next “Not Like Us” season, this time, with an estimated 20 million people tuned in. It’ll be a doozy, no matter who Kendrick Lamar decides to share his spotlight with—but the BeyHive is hoping for a performance of “Freedom” with Beyoncé.
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.
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.
Kendrick Lamar seemingly made reference to his diss track, “6:16 in LA,” in the announcement video that he’ll be performing at Super Bowl LIX. “You gotta make sure you catch it with the hands open like that. We running real routes. You gonna be messing up,” he says in the video. Cole Cuchna caught the subtle reference in the latest episode of his Dissect podcast, noting that on “6:16 in LA,” Lamar raps, “Your lil’ memes is losin’ steam, they figured you out / The forced opinions is not convincin’, y’all need a new route.”
Fans on social media have been having mixed reactions to the ideas. “Some of these seem like reaches…Either that or Kendrick has done the best research papers as a kid in the history of school lol,” one fan on X (formerly Twitter) wrote. Another user theorized: “I thought the whole thing was Kendrick throwing the ball to his kid while sending shots at Drake then also parenting in itself sending a shot at Drake.”
Kendrick Lamar Films Music Video For “Not Like Us”
Watts, CA – June 22: Kendrick Lamar smiles alongside Jay Rock, center, in between filming for the music video for “Not Like Us” at Nickerson Gardens on Saturday, June 22, 2024 in Watts, CA. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Elsewhere in the announcement video, Lamar more directly trolls Drake. “You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos,” he remarks at one point. The Toronto rapper had recently teased being ready for a “Game 2” with Lamar on his Instagram Story.
Fans Analyze Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Announcement
JAY-Z played a key role in the NFL selecting Lamar to perform at the halftime show. Along with his Roc Nation company, he will serve as an executive producer of the event. “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” JAY-Z said in a statement. “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.” Be on the lookout for further updates on Kendrick Lamar and Super Bowl LIX on HotNewHipHop.
I never peeped the 50 yard line or caught that 616 ‘route’ callback! Leave this man alone aubrey pic.twitter.com/618qSWjk9J
in a position where we are at the mercy of someone else’s decision. We will make the decisions.”
(@MufasaScreams) 
