Lil Wayne was "hurt" when he learned he hadn't been picked to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Kendrick Lamar will perform at the sports extravaganza, leading many of Lil Wayne's fans and famous friends to publicly criticise the decision to pass over a New Orleans native for a Los Angeles rapper.
Breaking his silence on the news in a sombre Instagram video, the Lollipop hitmaker confessed that he blamed himself for getting his hopes up about the performance.
"That hurt. It hurt a lot. You know what I'm talking about. It hurt a whole lot," the dispirited rapper said. "I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown. And for automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position. So I blame myself for that. But I thought that was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt. It hurt a whole lot."
The 41-year-old, real name Dwayne Carter Jr., thanked his supporters for picking up him when he felt "like s**t not getting this opportunity".
"So, like I said, it broke me and I'm just trying to put me back together," he concluded. "But my God, have you all helped me. Thanks to all of my peers, my friends, my family, my homies on the sports television and everybody repping me. I really appreciate that, I really do. I feel like I let all of y'all down by not getting that opportunity, but I'm working on me and I'm working. So thank you."
Back in February, the A Milli rapper admitted on YG's 4Hunnid podcast that he hadn't received a call about the show but he was "praying" and "keeping (his) fingers crossed".
Some of Wayne's collaborators, such as Nicki Minaj and Birdman, have publicly slammed the perceived snub against him.
Lamar will headline the show at the Caesars Superdome on 9 February 2025. This will mark his second Halftime Show as he previously appeared alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent during the 2022 set.
