“I Look at It Like, ‘You Ain’t There'”: Lil Wayne Makes His Feelings Clear on Being Snubbed From The Super Bowl Halftime Show

The NFL announced Kendrick Lamar would headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show back in Week 1 of the 2024 campaign. As one of the most recognizable recording artists in the world, Lamar was a fine choice for the gig. However, in Skip Bayless’ mind, the league made the wrong decision.

Lil Wayne is one of Bayless’ closest friends. The rapper provided the theme song for Bayless’ FOX Sports show, Undisputed. As a New Orleans native, Wayne felt like an obvious option to Bayless for the Super Bowl role.

Unsurprisingly, Wayne agreed. He was extremely displeased with the news and expounded upon those feelings in an interview with Bayless on YouTube.

“Generally, I believe that, for whatever reason… [it was] over my head… I believe [it was] perfect… but personally… I straight look at it like, ‘you ain’t there. You ain’t there, and you gotta get there’… there’s [also] things that I can’t control involved in it. It is what it is.”

Bayless then asked Wayne if he was “better with it now than you were when it first hit?” Wayne provided a quick, decisive one-word reply: “No.”

Lil Wayne has a new approach following his Super Bowl LIX snub

Bayless admitted he considers Wayne “the G.O.A.T.” He couldn’t fathom an artist of his caliber thinking he needed to “get better to earn the right” to headline a Super Bowl.

Most singers might not use such a spurning as fuel to improve, but that’s what makes Wayne unique. He elaborated on this modified attitude to Bayless.

“Here’s what I told myself… I said, ‘you know what?… I wanna get to the point where I’m undeniable.’ I want them to walk in there and have 10 other choices, and [have] whoever’s in charge say, ‘nope. You have to go with him.”

For better or worse, Wayne is no longer in his heyday (neither is Lamar, but his prime was more recent). Wayne also didn’t have a public beef with another artist in the months leading up to the league’s decision as Lamar did.

The NFL doesn’t always pick someone who’s in the current news cycle but it seems they went that route this time. Perhaps Wayne will have better luck in the future.