Shaquille O’Neal Suggests Lil Wayne Host a Televised Concert to Compete with Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show [Video]

Shaquille O’Neal recently proposed a bold idea for how Lil Wayne could overshadow Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show next year in New Orleans.

During a conversation with NFL running back Leonard Fournette on his “Big Shaq” podcast, the NBA legend suggested a cheeky plan for Weezy to upstage K. Dot after being overlooked for the high-profile gig in his hometown.

“I have a hypothetical question […] let’s just say the Super Bowl halftime show was from 12 to 1 — should Lil Wayne do a concert in New Orleans simultaneously and televise it?” Shaq posed, before answering his own question: “I would do that […] Stream it and then give people a choice.”

The controversy surrounding Wayne’s exclusion from the Super Bowl lineup has sparked considerable debate, particularly with Lamar having a standout year in 2024 and solidifying his position in the hip-hop hierarchy thanks to his hit “Not Like Us.” Notable figures, including Nicki Minaj, Birdman, and Cam’ron, have voiced their discontent with the decision, with some directing their frustration at Jay-Z, who has been instrumental in organizing the halftime show since his partnership with the NFL began in 2019.

Even Wayne himself has shared his disappointment over the snub despite not being in talks with the NFL or Roc Nation for a performance. In a somber Instagram video last month, he reflected on the situation.

“That hurt. It hurt a 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. So I blame myself for that. 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 stated.

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Neither Lamar nor Hov has publicly responded to the backlash, but both have their fair share of supporters. Recently, on “The Talk,” 50 Cent backed the choice to feature the Compton star for Super Bowl LIX.

Wayne has not responded to Shaq’s remarks.