It’s official. Kendrick Lamar will headline the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans. However, the news angered some fans and rappers, who felt that considering Lil Wayne from the Big Easy was the right choice. Despite the opposition, the right choice was clearly made.
Why Kendrick Lamar is the right choice for Super Bowl 59
Kendrick Lamar, like Lil Wayne, has a legendary rap career. Although Dot didn’t release an album this year, 2024 will go down in history. His rap battle with Drake was hip-hop’s biggest moment of the year and resulted in two No. 1 songs for the Compton, Calif., rapper. “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin, and “Not Like Us” with Drake. K-Dot’s The Pop Out concert in June was another epic moment in the rap world. Basically, all eyes have been on Kendrick for much of this year. They would continue rumors that he was working on a new album.
Lil Wayne, on the other hand, has been largely stagnant rap-wise in 2024, despite dropping several critically acclaimed releases. Aside from the recent reveal that Tha Carter VI is complete, there’s been little movement on the music front.
Additionally, Kendrick Lamar is generally a safer bet. As recently proven on his record-breaking 2023 The Big Steppers Tour, Kendrick excels in the realm of live performance. His catalog has more universal appeal for Super Bowl viewers.
Lil Wayne has an extensive catalog. However, he doesn’t have the greatest track record when it comes to live performances. He has a history of concert left turns and behind-the-scenes horror stories.
Artistic director Sean Harrison recently spoke about his poor experience working with Wayne on a Grammy performance, saying that letting Wayne headline the Super Bowl would be the “biggest mistake ever.”
Others cited Lil Wayne’s lyrics, which contain more about drug use and hardcore content, as a reason for choosing Kendrick over Tunechi. Furthermore, Lil Wayne himself has admitted on several occasions that he cannot remember the lyrics to his songs.
Can Wayne pull it all together and perform live on the biggest stage in the world? certainly. But is Kendrick a safer choice? Absolutely. This is the Super Bowl. Billions of dollars are involved. Companies tend to choose certain things.
Read More: The 13 Best Hip-Hop Halftime Shows
location doesn’t matter
It seems like most of the heartache over Wayne not being the headliner of the big game is because it happened in NO. However, the idea that Lil Wayne should automatically get the nod because he’s a New Orleans native has more precedent than anything else. It has happened in the past. Aside from Dr. Dre’s Super Bowl performance in Los Angeles in 2022, no previous performers have come from the host city of the big game.
There’s no doubt that the emotional choice is Lil Wayne, but the right choice for the 2025 Super Bowl is K-Dot.
Read more: 22 rappers to appear in Super Bowl commercials over the years
Check out 50 surprising facts about Kendrick Lamar
K-Dot fans, this one is for you.
