“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for Hip Hop culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.” – Jay-Z
There have been very few rappers who have had as good of a year as Kendrick Lamar, and things just got better as he’s been announced as the first solo rapper to headline Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans on February 9, 2025. As with everything in Hip Hop, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding this decision.
Kendrick Lamar recently wiped the floor with Drake in the battle of Hip Hop’s titans. Not only did Kendrick outsmart Drake, but he also made a club-friendly hit that Drake accused him of not being able to make that dissed Drake by calling him a pedophile. Soon after the slaughter, Kendrick and his team, PD Lang, produced The Pop Out: Ken & Friends where he united all the gangs of LA and performed the Drake dissing ‘Not Like Us’ five times. With Hip Hop media covering every inch of the battle and subsequent victory lap concert, Jay Z’s Roc Nation announced Kendrick Lamar as the first solo Hip Hop headliner. Dr. Dre did the show with his crew [including Kendrick Lamar] in LA in 2021.
By all measures and statistics, Kenrick deserves this slot. He’s got an amazing live show and given that the Super Bowl is not for five months, it’s sure to be an incredible event. The controversy has come because of one performer – New Orleans’ own Lil Wayne. The rapper has campaigned for this slot for years and has enough down South hits to fill 12 minutes. It’s in his hometown and he seems like a natural fit except for a few rumors flying around. Some say Wayne’s strong addiction to lean makes him unfit. He’s been known to have to read his lyrics off a teleprompter during shows, and he’s close with Drake, the person who Kendrick checkmates with in this move. There has also been speculation that Jay-Z has beef with Wayne or Birdman, who managed Wayne from the time he was young. Nicki Minaj jumped in on Twitter with a tirade defending Wayne and going after Jay Z even though she didn’t explicitly name him.
All of this happened in one day, so expect a lot of controversy and drama leading up to the Super Bowl, which is exactly what the organizers wanted.
Check out Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl announcement ad here.
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