Lil Wayne is officially done with the Super Bowl—and he’s not holding back.
In a new Rolling Stone cover story published on Thursday (April 17), the rap icon opened up about being passed over for the 2025 Halftime Show, a decision that left him “hurt” and unwilling to ever consider the gig again.
“They stole that feeling,” Wayne told the publication. “I don’t want to do it. It was perfect.”
Despite the NFL hosting this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans—Wayne’s hometown—the halftime spotlight went to Kendrick Lamar, who delivered a historic performance that pulled in 133.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched halftime show in history.
Wayne wasn’t watching, though.
Instead of tuning in, the “Lollipop” rapper revealed he played pool with Lil Twist and smoked outside while the show aired. “There was nothing that made me want to go inside and see what was going on,” he added.
And while Wayne insists he’s on good terms with Kendrick, he couldn’t resist throwing a little shade:
“They coulda had some music. But instead they got rappin’,” he said while previewing tracks from his upcoming album, Tha Carter VI. “They f**ked up.”
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NFL Gave Him Hope – Then Ghosted?
Wayne said what stung the most was the NFL allegedly leading him to believe he was a frontrunnerfor the performance. From appearances at Michael Rubin’s star-studded white parties to hanging out with Tom Brady, Wayne said he stepped out of his comfort zone to play the game.
“I ain’t Drake,” he said. “I ain’t out there smiling like that everywhere. I’m in the stu’, smokin’ and recording.”
But after Lamar was announced as headliner, Wayne claims his NFL contacts backpedaled, saying they weren’t in charge of the selection—a process now overseen by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation since 2019.
“All of a sudden, according to them, they got curved,” he said. “So, I’m going to have to just settle with whatever they say.”
Kendrick may have stayed quiet about the situation publicly, but he seemed to address it subtly on “Wacced Out Murals,” the opening track of his GNX album:
“Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down.”
As for Wayne? He’s clearly not looking back—and he’s channeling all that energy into Tha Carter VI, promising fans his best is yet to come.
