By Jenny L. Rivera
The Super Bowl is one of the largest sporting events that people spend thousands of dollars to attend from all over the world. Alongside the excitement of the football itself, a big appeal of the event is the halftime show and commercials. This year’s Super Bowl will take place in New Orleans which is known for its beautiful culture, food, and festivals.
It was recently announced that Kendrick Lamar will be headlining the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime show.
This announcement sparked some controversy with many people hoping the headliner would’ve been Lil Wayne instead who some consider the face of New Orleans.Roc Nation joined a partnership with the NFL back in 2019 that has led Jay-Z to be the final decision maker on who headlines the Super Bowl Halftime. Jay-Z selected Lamar for the position over Lil Wayne. Earlier this year, Lamar released the viral hit diss track, “Not Like Us.” about fellow rapper Drake who so happened to develop largely under Lil Wayne.
Sophomore business law and music major Mani Boyd suspects that this is a genius marketing scheme by Jay-Z.
“He’s not stupid. Everything he does always makes money,” Boyd said. “And, he’s next to another person who makes all her marketing decisions right to the ‘T’ as well, Beyoncé. She’s probably connected to everything that he does. Even if he didn’t expect this outcome, he knows what to do.”
Jay-Z has made some great decisions in choosing performers for the Super Bowl but many question his choice to snub Lil Wayne.
Freshman pharmacy major Tiffany Brewer shared her opinion on the decision.
“I feel like Lil Wayne did his time. I think Kendrick is a little more with the times,” Brewer said. “Lil Wayne has been around for the past 25 years. So, I would say, I think it’s about time for him to hang it up.”
“Trending” is a term created within the new age of the social media world. It may have been around prior to, but it now plays a more prevalent role in what one may need to stay relevant, especially as an artist. To be trending is often vital because it means a larger audience.
For Kendrick Lamar, his song, “Not Like Us” created a stampede of following. Although the song was a diss track, it became part of a bigger movement instead.
Boyd shared more of her thoughts on the decision to select Lamar over Wayne.
“I think another reason he was chosen is that Kendrick is more lyrical, and he’ll go on and on, whereas Lil Wayne pauses in everything he does,” Boyd said. “[However] in theory Lil Wayne is more of an entertainer, and he’s brought out Nicki Minaj and other artists. They probably believe that all these artists are going to accompany him. Kendrick has other songs, and there is a one in a million chance he’ll bring out Rihanna but other than that, it’s just him.”
Fans on different social media platforms along with major artists and friends of Lil Wayne have spoken up for him. Many have been furious at Jay-Z for making this decision.
In a conversation with Gil Kaufman at Billboard, Wayne spoke on the decision.
“I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown,” Wayne said. “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.”
Lil Wayne has created greatness, but it is also hard to continue to be great in a world that needs consistency during the age of social media. Boyd shared her thoughts on Lil Wayne’s career trajectory.
“I think Lil Wayne is upset because he’s getting to a point in music where he could not mean anything,” Boyd said. Unless he develops another artist or makes some other fantastic song. He probably feels this is his last genuine chance because the Superbowl stats from last year are already huge. So, this one may be bigger.”
Brewer shared more of her thoughts on the debate over who was the better choice.
“It’s kind of like a Biggie and Tupac situation. I feel like you must just pick a side and stay on it. Whoever loves Jay-Z is gonna ride with Jay-Z,” Brewer said.
Currently, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, and the Super Bowl are all trending on social media. Negative exposure and positive exposure equal exposure. For those hoping for a change, it seems no one will know until we get to the actual Super Bowl.
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