Kendrick Lamar has once again ignited a conversation in hip-hop, this time with a track addressing his selection as the headliner for Super Bowl LIX. On “wacced out murals,” the opening song of his surprise album GNX, Kendrick dives into the controversy sparked by the NFL’s decision to choose him for the halftime show over Lil Wayne, a New Orleans legend.
The halftime performance announcement, made in September, was met with mixed reactions, especially since the game will be held in Lil Wayne’s hometown. Many fans saw the decision as a missed opportunity to honor the local rap icon. Lamar doesn’t sidestep the issue in his lyrics, rapping, “Used to bump Tha Carter III / I held my Rollie chain proud… Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down.”
While acknowledging Wayne’s influence on his career, Kendrick uses the track to offer his perspective on the fallout, which ties back to his ongoing rise as one of hip-hop’s most dominant forces. The rapper previously dominated headlines this summer with “Not Like Us,” a scathing diss track aimed at Drake, and the Super Bowl announcement added fuel to the fire. However, this latest nod to Wayne struck a different chord.
Lil Wayne’s Cryptic Warning
Lil Wayne’s response came swiftly and cryptically, per BleacherReport. The New Orleans native, who had previously expressed heartbreak over being overlooked for the halftime show, took to social media with a cryptic post that seemed aimed squarely at Kendrick. “Man wtf I do?! I just be chillin & dey still kome 4 my head,” Lil Wayne tweeted. “Let’s not take kindness for weakness. Let this giant sleep. I beg u all. No one really wants destruction,not even me but I shall destroy if disturbed. On me. Love,” Wayne wrote, leaving fans speculating about the potential escalation of the situation.
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Wayne’s disappointment with the NFL’s decision had been clear since the announcement. He described the snub as a painful moment, admitting in an emotional video that it “broke” him. Yet, the rapper’s words also suggested resilience, as he vowed to “put himself back together.”
Despite the tension, Lamar has long spoken highly of Wayne’s contributions to hip-hop. In past interviews, Kendrick Lamar referred to Wayne as a legend and credited him for shaping the culture. Fans now hope both artists can move past the friction, recognizing the greatness each brings to the genre.