Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Show Sparks Controversy and Backlash
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show drew significant attention, particularly due to Lil Wayne feeling overlooked and skipping the show in protest, with mixed reactions from viewers.
Kendrick Lamar had one of the most talked about Super Bowl halftime shows in recent memory. It was certainly the most discussed once it was announced.
Earlier this week, Lil Wayne announced he wouldn't be in New Orleans for the Super Bowl after being passed over as the halftime performer for Kendrick. Days after finding out he wouldn't be performing, Wayne took to social media with a message for his fans.
"It hurt a whole lot. 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. But I thought there was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt," he said at the time.
One man who chose not to watch the performance was sportscaster Skip Bayless, who reminded the entire football world that he decided to boycott the Super Bowl halftime show "out of respect for my brother Lil Wayne."
In a recent episode of "The Skip Bayless Show," he revealed that the league felt so bad that they supposedly apologised to Lil Wayne over Kendrick Lamar being chosen over him.
"The NFL immediately sent Wayne a letter of apology," Bayless stated. "From nobody in particular, just from the league on NFL letterhead. A letter that thanked him for his years of supporting the league, not just the Packers, his favourite team, but supporting and promoting the NFL in general."
"He makes weekly appearances on the NFL Sunday pregame show, 'NFL GameDay Morning' on the NFL Network. But, he will not play Sunday's halftime show, and he definitely will not watch a second of Sunday's halftime show. He will watch the game; just not the halftime show. Not one second."
A special guest during Lamar's set was tennis legend Serena Williams, who performed the crip walk while the Compton native showcased his song 'Not Like Us,' which is a diss track directed toward rapper Drake.
Kendrick Lamar's 2025 Super Bowl LIX halftime show contained many elements, but it left numerous viewers feeling disappointed. A significant number of people labelled it the "worst ever."
