Lil Wayne on Super Bowl Snub: ‘It Broke Me’

Rapper Lil Wayne is speaking out after not being selected to perform at the Super Bowl halftime in February.

Lil Wayne expressed his heartbreak over being snubbed for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, sharing on Friday that the decision “broke” him. This came days after several fellow artists rallied in his defense, criticizing the choice to feature Kendrick Lamar as the headliner instead of the New Orleans native.

Earlier in the year, Wayne expressed great interest in headlining the halftime show, saying that he was “going to make it hard for them” not to choose him. Well, they didn’t.

Wayne admitted that he blamed himself for assuming he’d be the headliner, saying, “I automatically put myself in that position, thinking there was no better spot, no better stage or platform, especially in my city. So it hurt.”

Artists like Nicki Minaj, Master P, and Cam’ron were vocal in their disapproval earlier in the week, arguing that Wayne, as a New Orleans icon, deserved the spot. They also pointed fingers at Jay-Z, a co-producer of the halftime show, for the decision.

“It broke me, and I’m just trying to put myself back together,” Wayne shared. “But my God, y’all have helped me. Thanks to my peers, friends, family, and everyone who’s been repping me… I feel like I let everyone down by missing that opportunity, but I’m working on myself. So thank you.”