"That hurt, it hurt a lot" — Lil Wayne finally addresses Super Bowl snub after Kendrick Lamar was chosen to headline halftime show

Lil Wayne finally weighed in on the decision of choosing Kendrick Lamar to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. The rapper shared a post on Instagram on September 13, where he mentioned that "it hurt." In the clip, Wayne could be heard saying:

"That hurt, it hurt a lot. You know what I’m talking about. It hurt a whole lot. 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."

He further added:

"But I thought that was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt. It hurt a whole lot."

He further expressed gratitude for all the support he received online on the matter. He added:

"Y’all are f**king amazing. It made me feel like s**t not getting this opportunity. When I felt like s**t you guys reminded me that I aint s**t without y’all. That’s an amazing reality."

Lil Wayne concluded:

"It broke me but I'm just trying to put me back together, but my god have you all helped me...

The clip came a few days after it was announced that Kendrick Lamar was going to be the performer at the halftime show in February 2025. Several netizens including stars like Nicki Minaj bashed the decision.

Many X (formerly Twitter) users reacted to the current video of Lil Wayne as well. It got mixed responses with some still rooting for Kendrick and some who extended support to Wayne. While Wayne's Instagram post was filled with comments from fans, supporting him.

The argument also involved mentioning Jay-Z who is the co-producer at the event, for allegedly being responsible for the decision. However, it is necessary to understand that the decision is made by the host city New Orleans, and not Jay-Z.

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More about the dispute regarding Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar

While Kendrick Lamar was chosen to headline the halftime show, the decision seemingly didn't sit right with many people, including many celebrities. They believed rapper Lil Wayne who is also a New Orleans native, deserved it more than Lamar. They also blamed Jay-Z for this decision.

While Nicki Minaj bashed Jay in the matter, Canadian rapper Drake took time to extend support to Wayne. The God's Plan artist shared a couple of photos of Wayne on his Instagram feed on September 10. This action seemed like he was showing solidarity in the events that happened.

Nicki Minaj was one of the most vocal artists in the matter. On September 9, she took to X, to share a series of posts highlighting Wayne's influence on her career and the music industry in general. She shared:

"Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego. Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!!..."

Rappers like Master P, Mase, and Cam'ron also voiced their opinions on choosing Lamar for the February event. Master P wrote on Instagram about how he felt that Lil Wayne should have been a part of the event while further referring to him as "the greatest Hip Hop artist alive."

On the September 9 episode of It Is What It Is, Cam'ron and Mase highlighted how they couldn't believe that Wayne wasn't a part of the event as a headliner. Several other celebrities like Boosie Badazz, DJ Akademiks, and Birdman also expressed disagreement with the decision to choose Lamar over Wayne.