SUPER BOWL

While the announcement that Kendrick Lamar would perform the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in New Orleans was met with general excitement from fans, some fans questioned the pick, believing that local artist Lil Wayne would have been a better selection. So, why wasn’t Lil Wayne chosen to perform at the Super Bowl?

First things first: There’s never been a rule that the Super Bowl halftime performers must be local acts. That’s a recent development from hip-hop fans online after a “wouldn’t it be cool if…” proposition evolved like the monsters from an Alien movie into something far less innocuous.

In the last five years, we’ve had Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, who are most notably not from Miami; The Weekend, who is not from Tampa; and Rihanna, who is not from Arizona. The first show to be performed entirely by locals in pretty much the whole modern history of the Super Bowl Halftime Show was 2022’s combination of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar in Los Angeles, and they were joined by two New Yorkers and a Detroiter.

Of course, coming off an impressive showing by Usher in Las Vegas this past February, it only makes sense fans would want the newly minted “tradition” to return. However understandable it is, though, Roc Nation, the NFL’s music partner, hasn’t ever had an obligation to hometown performers (and when you think about where all the NFL has teams, let’s all just be thankful for that).

Kendrick’s pick also meets pretty much all the criteria Roc Nation would be looking for in a performer. To let Audiomack co-founder and longtime industry insider Brian Zisook tell it, K. Dot’s available, popular, and culturally impactful, with enough hits to fill up the 15-minute performance slot and a penchant for showmanship that will translate well both live and on TV.

Cam’ron and Mase insinuate that “somebody in the selection process” is hating on Lil Wayne and is the reason he wasn’t selected to perform at halftime of the Super Bowl.

“It’s egregious and it gotta stop.”

pic.twitter.com/O24uB8WVmx

— UPROXX (@UPROXX) September 9, 2024

Now, as to why Lil Wayne was not selected. While some fans — and even some veteran performers like Cam’ron and Mase — would rather believe in elaborate conspiracies about Roc Nation founder Jay-Z holding a decades-long grudge against Wayne, the truth is probably a lot simpler: Wayne just doesn’t meet the above criteria.

While his popularity is undeniable, it’s equally undeniable that the peak of that popularity is past him; for contrast, Lil Wayne hasn’t had a top-ten-charting single in the past five years (2019’s “Don’t Cry” featuring the late XXXtentacion). And while he’s got more than enough hits to fill the allotted set time, Wayne’s always been a meat-and-potatoes kind of performer; he certainly isn’t going to break out roller skates and costume changes, let alone construct a whole hall of mirrors on the field or hover on a platform above it.

Meanwhile, we aren’t even sure Wayne would be available to perform next February; he could have a tour booked, he could be working on new music, or be involved in one of a thousand other projects. As a hardcore sports fan, he may be planning to take in the show from the stands. Or, on the other hand, perhaps he is available, does have the desire, and actually is part of K. Dot’s plan for the show — although their respective relationships with Drake make this outcome unlikely.

After all, Wayne’s one of Kendrick’s biggest inspirations aside from Kurupt, and it’s not like the Compton native is averse to including guest stars in his sets. It’d probably be far easier for Wayne to appear for a verse of “A Milli” than put together a whole show for a national audience who may not even be all that familiar with his work (try to remember that country music is the most popular genre on the charts this year, so there may not be much demand for a “Bling Bling” performance outside Wayne’s existing audience).

So, while we can’t say for sure why Wayne wasn’t picked to lead the show, we do know that there are plenty of good reasons for Kendrick Lamar’s selection. And, since we can’t completely count out a Wayne appearance, it seems premature to call it a snub. We don’t even know who’s playing the actual game yet, so maybe a little patience is warranted — and could pay off when halftime actually hits.