Lil Wayne says he's hurt after being turned down at Super Bowl halftime show

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lil Wayne spoke for the first time about his disappointment after not being selected to headline the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in his hometown of New Orleans.

The rap megastar expressed his hurt feelings publicly in a Instagram video post Friday, almost a week after the Los Angeles-based rapper Kendrick Lamar Was announced as headlinerHe said being overlooked had “broken” him, adding: “I'm just trying to pull myself together.”

Over the years, Wayne has been vocal about his desire to perform during halftime of the NFL Championship Game, which will be held at the Caesars Superdome on February 9. It will be the second time Lamar has performed during the halftime show, following guest appearances with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Eminem in 2022.

Wayne appeared somber in the video and said he had to muster enough strength to express his thoughts “without breaking down.”

“That hurt a lot,” said Wayne, a five-time Grammy winner who has a string of hits including “Lollipop” with Static Major, “Mr. Carter” with Jay-Z, “Go DJ” and “A Milli.” He also helped launch the careers of Drake, Nicki Minaj and Tyga.

“I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for disappointment and automatically putting myself in this position mentally,” he said. “I thought there was nothing better than this place on this stage, on this platform in my city.”

Wayne thanked his supporters – including Minaj and Birdman – who stood up for him.

“I feel like I let you all down by not getting that chance,” Wayne said.

However, Wayne also noted, “Your words became arms that supported me when I tried to fall back.”