One of the most talked-about moments in Super Bowl halftime history remains British rapper M.I.A. making headlines with an obscene gesture during a live performance. What followed was a long-drawn legal battle between the NFL and M.I.A. Here’s all you need to know about it.
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Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 saw Madonna headline the halftime show, with M.I.A. making a special guest appearance in her set. During the British rapper’s brief cameo, she suddenly raised her middle finger to the camera. Though the production team quickly switched to a different angle, M.I.A.’s obscene gesture left its mark.
13 years ago, M.I.A showed her middle finger at the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/onOePDKg16
— popculture (@notgwendalupe) February 9, 2025
The NFL expectedly was pissed off at the rapper for breaching the pre-show agreement between the two parties, which explicitly stated that M.I.A.’s conduct had to align with NFL’s “reputation for wholesomeness”. The league thus issued a $1.5 million fine on the musician, who wasn’t paid a dime to perform.
The NFL argued that the British rap star’s obscene gesture was a ploy to “garner worldwide publicity and attention for herself”. For M.I.A., however, the lawsuit was ridiculous, especially the NFL’s wholesome reputation, considering how the league’s athletes weekly find themselves in the news for felonies.
As per “The One” hitmaker, her obscene gesture was her homage to Hindu music Goddess Matangi’s meditative pose. Unsurprisingly, the league didn’t buy her reasoning. The battle then got ugly as the league upped its fine to a whopping $16.6 million.
After 2 years of back and forth, M.I.A. and her legal counsel finally reached an out-of-court settlement in 2014. The terms of this deal are unknown to this date.
Unfortunately for the NFL, this wasn’t their last controversy with hip-hop stars.
Delving into NFL’s Super Bowl LIX Snub of Lil Wayne
In hindsight, Kendrick Lamar was an excellent choice by the NFL as the halftime act for Super Bowl LIX. Whether it was his set layered with storytelling or the crowd in unison yelling “A Minor” with Lamar, the “Not Like Us” hitmaker has received rave reviews for his Super Bowl halftime performance.
However, this positive reaction wasn’t what Kendrick Lamar or the NFL experienced when they first announced him as this year’s headlining act. While many hip-hop heads were thrilled to see Lamar get such a big stage, a good chunk believed that Lil Wayne should have been the one to perform. After all, he is New Orleans’ very own.
Nicki Minaj, who is also Wayne’s protégé, was one of the most vocal critics of the move. As per Minaj, Wayne “inspired your faves to wanna be a great MC.” Hence, for his legacy, impact, and seniority, he deserved to perform over Kendrick Lamar in his hometown.
Sports broadcaster Skip Bayless was also amongst the critics who, throughout the buildup to the Super Bowl, called the league out multiple times for their decision.
Amidst all this, Lil Wayne himself made an emotional revelation on his IG Live. The “Lollipop” hitmaker admitted his hurt over the snub considering how much of a big deal performing at the Super Bowl in New Orleans would have meant for him.
“I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for just automatically mentally putting myself in that position… I thought there was nothing better than that spot, that stage, that platform, in my city. So it hurt, it hurt a whole lot.”
All that said, the league didn’t budge. They went ahead with Kendrick Lamar, and the results are for all to see. The NFL, however, did write an apology to Lil Wayne for snubbing him. Not sure if that will help Wayne cheer up, but still a classy gesture by the league.
