Emotional Lil Wayne Says Not Being Picked to Perform at 2025 Super Bowl Halftime in His Native New Orleans 'Hurt a Lot'

Kendrick Lamar was announced as the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime show headliner on Sept. 7 and "it broke me," Wayne confessed

• Lil Wayne is speaking out after Kendrick Lamar was announced as the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime show performer

• The "A Milli" rapper said not getting chosen to perform at the big game in his New Orleans hometown "hurt a lot"

• "I feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that opportunity, but I’m working on me, and I’m working, so thank you," Wayne told fans
  

Lil Wayne would've loved to perform at the 2025 Super Bowl.

Days after Kendrick Lamar was announced as the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime show headliner, Wayne posted to Instagram and expressed his disappointment over not getting chosen to perform at the big game, taking place at the Caesars Superdome in his New Orleans hometown.

"First of all, I wanna say forgive me for the delay," said the 41-year-old Grammy winner in a video shared to the social media platform on Sept. 13. "I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking. I'mma say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, all the love and the support out there. Your words turned into to arms and held me up when I tried to fall back."

Related: Kendrick Lamar Announced as Performer for 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show

Wayne opened up about feeling "hurt" upon seeing the announcement of Lamar's upcoming performance. "It hurt a whole lot," he explained. "I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position."

"But I thought there was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt," he continued.

The "A Milli" rapper then directed attention to his "f---ing amazing" fans. "It made me feel like s--- not getting this opportunity, and when I felt like s---, you guys reminded me that I ain’t s--- without y’all, and that’s an amazing reality," he said.

Related: Lil Wayne Appears to Support Drake with 'Not Like Us' Lyric Change During Las Vegas Concert

"Like I said, it broke me, and I'm just trying to put me back together, but my God, have you all helped me," added Wayne. "Thanks to all of my peers, my friends, my family, my homies on the sports television and everybody repping me. I really appreciate that, I really do. I feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that opportunity, but I’m working on me, and I’m working, so thank you."

NFL, Apple Music, Roc Nation and Lamar, 37, announced the "Humble" rapper as the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show performer on Sept. 7. In a video shared to the Pulitzer Prize winner's YouTube channel, Lamar stands on a football field in front of an American flag while shooting footballs out of an automatic passing machine.

"My name's Kendrick Lamar and I'll be performing at Super Bowl LIX," said Lamar in the clip. "Will you be pulling up? I hope so. You know it's only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos."

Related: Lil Wayne Reveals His New Orleans Super Bowl 2025 Halftime Show Goals — and the Guests He'd Consider Bringing Along

"I won't want you to miss it. Meet me in New Orleans. Feb. 9, 2025," he added. "Wear your best dress, too, even if you watch it from home."

Lamar reacted to the halftime show announcement in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date," said the performer. "And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one."

JAY-Z, whose Roc Nation company works with the NFL to select the halftime show performer, added: "Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision."

He continued, "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."

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