Topline
Nicki Minaj and other artists have seemingly called out Jay-Z—who’s the co-producer of the Super Bowl halftime show—for selecting Kendrick Lamar as the performer for Super Bowl LIX over New Orleans native Lil Wayne, blaming rap feuds as the reasons for the supposed snub.
Key Facts
California rapper Lamar—who had a public feud with rapper Drake earlier this year—was selected as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LIX taking place in New Orleans in February, causing several artists to suggest New Orleans native Lil Wayne should have been the pick.
Some people blamed Jay-Z, who advises the NFL on entertainment, for the alleged snub: “The Super Bowl in New Orleans and they let Lamar perform over Lil Wayne…. Jay Z a legendary hater for that,” podcaster and internet personality DJ Akademiks said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
During the Monday episode of his podcast, rapper Cam’ron hinted at a beef between Jay-Z and Lil Wayne—who signed Drake to his record label Young Money Entertainment in 2009—as the reason for Lamar’s selection: “Lil Wayne had a problem with somebody before who’s kind of part of the organization running [the Super Bowl]—this is payback. Who’s Lil Wayne’s artist? Drake,” Cam’ron said.
Jay-Z’s long-running feud with the rapper Birdman may have something to do with the decision, according to Nicki Minaj; Jay-Z and Birdman have had a public feud since 2009, when Birdman, who signed Lil Wayne to his label in 1998, said Lil Wayne was a better rapper than Jay-Z.
While Jay-Z and Lil Wayne have exchanged jabs over the years, the pair seemingly made up after Lil Wayne signed on as co-owner of the New York rapper’s music platform Tidal in 2015 before a majority stake was sold to Jack Dorsey’s Block in 2022.
Minaj has her own history with Jay-Z’s camp: earlier this year, amid her beef with Megan Thee Stallion, Minaj publicly called out Desiree Perez, the CEO of Jay-Z’s agency Roc Nation, which has a management deal with Megan, with Minaj threatening to expose Perez for allegedly firing people for “unknown reasons” in an attempt to reportedly replace Minaj at the pinnacle of women’s rap with Megan Thee Stallion.
Forbes has reached out to Roc Nation, Lil Wayne, Lamar and the NFL for comment.
Crucial Quote
“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.”
What Is Jay-Z’s Connection To The Nfl?
Jay-Z was named the co-producer of the Super Bowl halftime show in 2019 after he partnered with the NFL to advise the league on entertainment and music. This partnership gives the New York rapper and Roc Nation the creative freedom to help pick the entertainers who will perform in televised NFL promotional spots throughout the season, which includes the Super Bowl. This deal came after several artists like Rihanna—when eventually performed in 2023—turned down the halftime show in support of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality in 2016. Although Jay-Z said in 2019 he had some misgivings about partnering with the NFL while Kaepernick went unsigned, he said his partnership would help the league build on its social justice initiatives, according to The Washington Post.
Why Do People Think Lil Wayne Should Be The Halftime Performer?
Fellow New Orleans rapper and newly named entertainment ambassador of the city Master P said in an Instagram post Sunday that although Lamar “well deserved” the role, he believes Lil Wayne should be a part of the “celebration” too because “he’s one of the greatest [hip hop] artists alive, still relevant and he’s a New Orleans native.” Cam’ron also praised Lamar during his podcast episode but went on to criticize the selection, saying “it’s in New Orleans, and you don’t get Lil Wayne…there’s no reason why Lil Wayne should not be performing at the Super Bowl.” Others have pointed out Louisiana artists should’ve been picked because Super Bowl LVI was held in California, and California artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Lamar were picked as the halftime performers that year. “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,” Boosie Badazz, a rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said in a post on X, before noting the choice of California artists for Super Bowl LVI.
Key Background
Lamar and Drake entered into a heated rap beef earlier this year that involved several other artists after Lamar seemingly responded to Drake and rapper J. Cole “sneak dissing” him on their joint song “First Person Shooter.” Drake and Lamar exchanged diss tracks between March and May, which parachuted several of the singles to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the end, Lamar’s “Not Like Us” was the most decorated track, peaking at No. 1 on the chart, and breaking Spotify’s streaming record to become the most-streamed American hip-hip song in a single day with 6.59 million streams. “Not Like Us” and Lamar’s joint song “Like That” with rapper Future and producer Metro Boomin are the only songs from the feud still on the Billboard Hot 100.
Forbes Valuation
$2.5 billion. That’s how much Forbes estimates Jay-Z is worth.
Further Reading
Drake-Kendrick Lamar Feud Timeline: Lamar Performs Diss Tracks At Star-Studded ‘Pop Out’ Show (Forbes)
