Fans are excited that the California rapper will be performing at the Super Bowl again, 3 years after he played the halftime show in 2022. Though controversy has been sparked by those who believe that the performance should’ve gone to a local New Orleans artist.  

In particular, New Orleans residents believe that Lil Wayne was snubbed when selecting who should perform at the upcoming 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. The controversy has spilled into the online world, with people weighing in on social media about the choice. Locally, people have mixed perspectives on the matter. 

“I was a little bit confused when I saw that Kendrick Lamar would be performing again because he just performed a few years ago,” said Nataliah Cornejo, a student from UC Berkeley. “There’s other artists that I thought would have made it before he did, but he’s also really popular right now, so I’m not surprised to see he’s there again. Rihanna performed at the Super Bowl in Arizona, but she wasn’t from there. I don’t think artists need to be from the state they perform in.”

“I don’t think it should matter where the artist is from,” Said Carlos Villareal, a student from Contra Costa College. “It should be based on what kind of music the artist makes, and if the music matches the overall feel of the Super Bowl.”

Lil Wayne was born and raised in New Orleans, growing up to become one of the city’s biggest hip-hop icons. Over his career Wayne has won five Grammy Awards, eleven BET awards, and eight NAACP Image Awards. The rapper has also helped rebuild his childhood playground Harrell Park in New Orleans. Donating $200,000, after the park was destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Many of his fans believe that he should’ve been chosen due to his status, and heavy connections to the city. 

“That hurt, it hurt a lot. I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown. And for just automatically, mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position.” Lil Wayne mentioned in a video uploaded to Instagram. With all the accolades, albums, and popularity he has, fans strongly believe that Lil Wayne should have been the one to take the stage at the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. 

On the contrary, Kendrick Lamar has had a phenomenal calendar year, which makes some say his spot in the upcoming Super Bowl is well deserved. The recent feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has skyrocketed Kendrick’s relevancy. The song “Not Like Us’, released by Kendrick Lamar during this recent feud, broke multiple records. Including the Fastest rap song to surpass 100 million streams, the first rapper to have two number-one songs in 2024, and the most song streams in a week for any rapper.

Furthermore, Kendrick Lamar recently held a concert on June 19, in celebration of Juneteenth. During this event, multiple alleged gang members in Los Angeles, came together as one on stage to represent a city united by culture, music, and community. Many fans of the California rapper believe that these feats alone make him more than qualified to perform at the upcoming Super Bowl.