Juvenile has joined the growing voices criticizing Lil Wayne’s exclusion from the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show, but he’s placing the blame squarely on the NFL, not JAY-Z.
In an Instagram video posted on Monday (September 9), the former Cash Money star expressed his frustration over Lil Wayne being overlooked for the prestigious halftime performance at Super Bowl LIX, especially since the event is being held in Wayne’s hometown of New Orleans. Lil Wayne had openly expressed his desire to headline the show.
While some in the Hip Hop community have pointed fingers at JAY-Z — who plays a key role in organizing the Super Bowl halftime show — for favoring Kendrick Lamar over Wayne, Juvenile’s anger is aimed higher, targeting the NFL’s decision-makers.
“Everybody wants me to speak on this Super Bowl situation,” Juvenile began in the video. “Look, I’m just as mad as y’all, but my frustration is with the NFL — not so much with the people booking the show. I’m mad at the ones who hired the people to book the halftime show!”
Juvenile went on to criticize the NFL for continuously snubbing New Orleans artists despite the city’s rich musical history. “Y’all have had 11 Super Bowls in New Orleans, and still haven’t put a single Hip Hop artist from our city on the damn stage! Every time y’all come here, you should include someone from New Orleans. But this time, not having Lil Wayne is really hard to swallow.”
He continued, “Lil Wayne has countless hits, he’s more than deserving, and he could easily bring out artists from all genres. How does the NFL not see that?”
Juvenile wrapped up his message with a direct call-out to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, saying: “Roger Goodell, you need to fix this. You come to our city, profit off our culture, and leave us with nothing. It’s gotta stop.”
The rapper’s passionate message reflects the mounting frustration within the Hip Hop community over Lil Wayne’s exclusion from the Super Bowl lineup, particularly given his deep connection to New Orleans.
Fans now await a response from the NFL, as the halftime show controversy continues to spark conversations online.
