Kendrick Lamar performed at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show (Image: Getty)
Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance at Super Bowl LIX sparked mixed reactions. The 37-year-old Compton native delivered renditions of his biggest hits during Sunday’s showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
During the fixture, the Eagles thwarted the Chiefs’ bid for a third consecutive Vince Lombardi trophy, clinching a 40-22 victory at Caesars Superdome, largely due to star quarterback Jalen Hurts’ masterclass. And while many American Football enthusiasts were captivated by the stunning choreography as Lamar performed DNA, Humble, Euphoria, and Not Like Us, others boycotted the show due to certain decisions made by the National Football League.
Here, Express Sport delve into how the situation unfolded…
Skip Bayless vows a boycott
Former FOX Sports host Skip Bayless publicly declared his boycott of Super Bowl LIX on social media, expressing his disappointment that organisers chose Lamar over Lil Wayne for the halftime show. Bayless was particularly irked by this decision, given that New Orleans is Lil Wayne’s hometown, and felt it would have been fitting for him to have the honour of performing.
Taking to social media, Bayless expressed his discontent, writing: “I am not watching this halftime show out of respect for my brother Lil Wayne, who obviously should be playing in his hometown of New Orleans. This is just so wrong,” reports the Irish Star.
He further questioned the decision in another post, adding: “Wayne is New Orleans. This Super Bowl obviously will be played in New Orleans, so why wasn’t Wayne chosen?”
Skip Bayless and Lil Wayne are friends (Image: Getty Images for The Goldwing Group)
Lil Wayne breaks his silence
Breaking his silence on the decision, Lil Wayne said: “It hurt a whole lot. I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a let down, and for automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position. So I blame myself for that.”
Despite the disappointment, the 42-year-old rapper confirmed he had spoken to Lamar, with whom he worked on A$AP Rocky’s hit ‘F***in’ Problems’ alongside Drake and 2 Chainz in 2012. He reassured Bayless: “I’ve spoken to him, and I wish him all the best and I told him he better kill it.”
Bayless responded with bewilderment: “It just makes no sense to me. I don’t get it, their politics played … I don’t know,” to which Lil Wayne added: “That’s another part of it, there’s things I can’t control.”
A Super Bowl snub
Lil Wayne’s Super Bowl snub has certainly sparked conversation and controversy among fans and commentators alike. The rapper devised a plan for revenge, revealing he wouldn’t be gracing the Super Bowl in New Orleans with his presence and hinting at an empty “seat to fill” as he teased fans about releasing “something special” through a veiled message shared on his Instagram stories.
Subsequently, Lil Wayne featured in a commercial for skincare company Cetaphil right before the Big Game. In the captivating ad’s finale, two tickets to the Super Bowl are offered to Wayne, who’s asked: “Are we still going?” To which he replies: “Nah, this is time sensitive.”
The ad culminates with a recording studio door closing. Behind it hangs a sign proclaiming ‘Do not disturb ’til 06-06-25,’ beneath which is inscribed ‘Carter VI.’ This date may just be the anticipated launch day for the upcoming edition in the artist’s acclaimed Tha Carter album series. Lil Wayne’s previous album, Funeral, came out in 2020 following Tha Carter V, which was released two years earlier.
Lil Wayne did not play the half time show (Image: Getty Images)
An NFL apology
Bayless has also claimed that the NFL issued a “letter of apology” to Lil Wayne after choosing Lamar over him for the Super Bowl performance. On his YouTube show last week, Bayless said: “At least the NFL immediately sent Wayne a letter of apology – from nobody in particular, just from the league in NFL letterhead.
“A letter that thanked him for his years of supporting the league – not just the [Green Bay] Packers, his favorite team – but supporting and promoting the NFL in general, which he has. He makes weekly appearances on the NFL Sunday Pregame Show, NFL Gameday Morning on NFL Network.
“But he will not play Sunday’s halftime show, and he definitely won’t watch a second of Sunday’s halftime show. He will watch the game, just not the halftime show, not one second. When the news first broke, it hit Wayne hard. He didn’t feel like doing much of anything for several long days and nights. He’s better now.”
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