Kendrick Lamar shocked fans on Friday with the unexpected release of his new album, GNX.
On the project’s opening track, “wacced out murals,” Kendrick broke his silence, finally addressing the heated debate surrounding his upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance.
“Used to bump *Tha Carter 3, I held my Rollie chain proud… Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down,” he raps, directly acknowledging Lil Wayne, the New Orleans native many believed should have been chosen instead of him.
He also revealed his disappointment over the lack of support from peers, adding, “Got the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me, all these n**** agitated I’m just glad it’s on their faces.”
The controversy began earlier this September when it was announced that Kendrick would headline the halftime show in New Orleans, sparking heated debates online. Social media quickly filled with think pieces arguing that Lil Wayne, a New Orleans legend, should have been chosen instead. Some critics even pointed fingers at Jay-Z, a co-producer of the NFL’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, suggesting he overlooked Wayne.
Young Money/Cash Money collaborators like Nicki Minaj and Birdman publicly supported Wayne, while Drake added his voice indirectly by posting photos of him on Instagram without explanation. The sentiment was echoed by other New Orleans icons like Master P and Juvenile, who also felt Wayne was the rightful choice for the slot. On their It Is What It Is podcast, Cam’ron and Mase expressed disbelief over the decision. Meanwhile, Boosie, another Louisiana native, criticized the NFL for failing to highlight local artists in their selection.
Amid the growing discourse, Lil Wayne broke his silence on Sept. 13 with an emotional Instagram video, revealing how deeply the decision affected him.
“First of all, I want to say forgive me for the delay. I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking,” Wayne began, visibly shaken. “I’mma say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, all love and support out there. Your words turned into arms and held me up when I tried to fall back.”
He continued, “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. But I thought there was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt. It hurt a whole lot.”
