Following the news that Kendrick Lamar will headline next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans, multiple people have argued that the city’s beloved Lil Wayne should’ve been chosen to headline — including his Young Money label member, Nicki Minaj.
On Monday, Minaj sent out several posts on X seemingly blaming JAY-Z for Lil Wayne not being selected for the opportunity. JAY, through a partnership between his Roc Nation and the NFL, has had a hand in producing Super Bowl Halftime Shows since 2019.
“One ni**a took a knee. The other ni**a took a bag. He gon get you ‘ni**ers’ in line every f**king time,” she wrote.
“Got everything in the world. Still spiteful and evil. Disgusting. Be happy Abeg,” she continued in a follow-up post, before going on to write in another: “Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego. Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake and Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!!”
Later on, she also seemed to clarify that none of her ire was directed at Lamar, posting on X, “You can love and respect Kendrick and still love and respect Wayne. Even Kendrick loves and respects Wayne. Every real rapper loves and respects Wayne.”
Minaj’s suspicions about JAY playing a part in Wayne not being the headliner for Super Bowl LIX’s halftime show seem to stem from feuds JAY has been involved in with both the New Orleans rapper and his mentor, Birdman.
As Forbes noted, JAY and Birdman have had a public feud since 2009, when he said that Wayne was a better rapper than JAY. It’s worth noting that Birdman also seemed to send a message JAY’s way about the Super Bowl Halftime Show announcement, writing on X, “These ni**az P**si @NICKIMINAJ @Drake @LilTunechi YMCMB. I’m make these ni**az respek us on Gladys.”
As for JAY and Wayne, the two have traded jabs at each other throughout their career but seemed to clear things up in 2018, when the “A Milli” rapper told a Chicago crowd, “[Jay-Z] helped me when I was really, really, really down…That man helped me with my taxes. He’s a real friend, y’all,” according to Rolling Stone.
Wayne hasn’t said anything public on the matter, while JAY has offered a statement on why Lamar was selected.
“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision,” he said, according to Complex. “He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”
Most fans have predicted that the West Coast rapper will use the opportunity to fully finish his battle with Drake, with the nail in the coffin being a performance of his hit diss track against the Toronto rapper, “Not Like Us.”
