Lil Wayne 'Blames' Himself for Super Bowl Halftime Snub: 'Not Mentally Prepared for a Letdown'

Lil Wayne recently expressed disappointment about not being selected for the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans, his hometown

In an Instagram Live, Lil Wayne shared his journey of "putting back" himself as he went through the aftermath of the NFL's choice to book Kendrick Lamar instead of him at Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025.

The rapper reportedly mustered up all the courage to face the challenge without crumbling, expressed gratitude to those who stood by his side, offered support, and acknowledged, "Your words turn into arms that held me up when I tried to fall back."

However, the "Lollipop" hitmaker admitted, "That hurt. It hurt a lot. You know what I'm talking about. It hurt a whole lot," and acknowledged his lack of readiness for the announcement.

"I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for just automatically mentally putting myself in that position; like somebody told me that was my position. But I thought there was nothing better than that. That stage and that platform in my city. So that hurt. It hurt a whole lot," he added.

The 41-year-old rapper said, "But I thought that was nothing better than that spot, stage, and platform in my city, so it hurt. It hurt a whole lot."

"But y'all are f-g amazing. It made me feel like shit not getting this opportunity and when I felt like shit, you guys reminded me that I ain't s-t without y'all," he added.

Having reflected on the missed opportunity, Lil Wayne expressed, "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."

This week's revelation stirred up a wave of outrage among friends and fans of Lil Wayne, who argued that the star should have been chosen to headline the Super Bowl.

READ ALSO: Lil Wayne's Rare Lyric Notebook From Hot Boys Era Up for Auction for $5M After 5-Year Ownership Dispute

On X, fans supported the "Love Me" rapper, with @bstrat515 suggesting, "Turn that pain into a #1 hit song or a diss track..."

@vashi1999 wrote, "Wow, that's a tough break for Lil Wayne. It's hard to see a dream slip away, but here's hoping he bounces back stronger."

"i feel so sorry for him, he truly is an AMAZING rapper," @BARBlEBLUNT wrote, while @Gracebal0 said, "Celebrities are human, he is allowed to feel sad."

This comes amid the hate Lil Wayne is also facing because he didn't let Kendrick Lamar, the performer on the upcoming Super Bowl halftime, "shine."

@soneslovesoshi said, "please let kendrick shine for once."

@flowzki tweeted, "I feel for wayne but he didn't even congratulate the little man who got it ahead of you knowing fully well he has been a lifelong fan of you! man ... that's ridiculous entitlement."

READ MORE: Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl 59 Headliner Gig Sparks Backlash; Fans Want Lil Wayne

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Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Super bowl halftime show