Super Bowl
FanDuel and Spotify are teaming up for the ultimate Super Bowl bash with an invite-only event in New Orleans featuring performances by Blink-182, Megan Thee Stallion and DJ Pee .Wee (a.k.a Anderson .Paak), Billboard can exclusively announce. The party, powered by in-house music agency Spotify AUX, will take place Friday (Feb. 7), just two days […]
Former Fox Sports host Skip Bayless and Lil Wayne have a friendship that runs deep. Less than a month out from Super Bowl LIX, Bayless went to bat for Weezy and his belief that the New Orleans icon should be headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show in his hometown.
“Sorry, Lil Wayne should obviously be the Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans,” he wrote to X on Sunday (Jan. 12).
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Of course, Kendrick Lamar has been tapped by the NFL to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show in the Big Easy, which drew criticism from a range of Wayne’s rap peers, including Nicki Minaj, Master P and Cam’ron.
“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego,” Minaj said on X last year while seemingly targeting Jay-Z and Roc Nation, who has served as the league’s live music entertainment strategist since 2019.
Many Kendrick fans flooded Bayless’ replies, citing the recent lawsuit accusing the former host of sexual harassment. “Weird case???? Still around,” a TDE fan account responded while quoting Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
According to the Associated Press, a hairstylist accused Bayless of repeatedly making unwanted sexual advances against her. She also claimed he offered her $1.5 million to have sex with him. Bayless has yet to address the lawsuit.
After Lil Wayne found out he’d been passed over for Kendrick, he admitted that the news was difficult for him to hear. “It hurt a whole lot,” he said at the time. “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.”
However, in the time since, Weezy revealed he and Kendrick had been in contact. “I’ve spoken to him, and I wish him all the best and I told him he better kill it,” Wayne explained to Bayless in December.
“It just makes no sense to me. I don’t get it … their politics played … I don’t know,” Bayless said to Weezy, who replied: “That’s another part of it, there’s things I can’t control.”
Super Bowl LIX is slated for Feb. 9 in New Orleans where Lamar will hit the halftime show stage. Find Skip’s tweet above.
Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, Chris Stapleton and Tucker Wetmore will lead a night meshing music and sports, when they spearhead EA Sports Presents Madden Bowl at the Orpheum Theater on Friday, Feb. 7, with the concert happening just two days prior to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. The show will also feature an appearance by Trombone Shorty with the New Breed Brass Band.
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Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” reigned supreme this year, logging 19 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, while Jelly Roll also reached new chart heights this year, notching his first all-genre Billboard 200 debut with his album Beautifully Broken. Stapleton continued to cement his status as a reliable hitmaker and award winner, earning CMA Awards accolades and seeing his song “White Horse” reach No. 2 on the Country Airplay chart. Newcomer Wetmore’s “Wind Up Missin’ You” has risen to No. 2 on the Country Airplay chart, and follows his breakthrough hit “Wine into Whiskey.”
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“EA SPORTS is a cornerstone of Super Bowl Week, and on Friday at Super Bowl LIX we’re bringing together fans, music, athletes, esports, and Madden in an unforgettable celebration of football,” John Reseburg, VP, Marketing, Partnerships, and Communications for EA SPORTS, said in a statement. “New Orleans is one of the greatest and most passionate sports cities in the world, and with a line-up including Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, and more, this is going to be an absolutely electric night at EA SPORTS Presents Madden Bowl.”
“2024 was an unforgettable year for me with a lot of highs, including performing at a NFL halftime show on Thanksgiving,” Shaboozey said in a statement. “Now I can’t wait to keep the party going with EA SPORTS and football fans from all over at Madden Bowl.”
Last year’s Madden Bowl, which was held in Las Vegas, featured artists and bands including Big Boi and Killer Mike, Breland, and Green Day.
Super Bowl LIX will be held at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9.
Flavor Flav and Guy Fieri‘s Flavortown are a match made in heaven. The Public Enemy rapper is set to perform at Fieri’s third annual Flavortown Tailgate ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, La., on Feb. 9 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time. The event is free for all fans of […]
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Lil Wayne went public to voice his frustration and disappointment in not getting named as the halftime show performer for the upcoming Super Bowl in his hometown of New Orleans. Sitting with longtime friend Skip Bayless, Lil Wayne discusses the Super Bowl snub, Kendrick Lamar, and more.
Lil Wayne joined Bayless on the host’s eponymously named YouTube program to discuss the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII featuring Kendrick Lamar and expressed his thoughts once more at being passed over for the opportunity. Bayless, who shared his disappointment in the Young Money honcho not getting the look, opened the lane by asking Wayne his thoughts on the matter.
“So generally, I just believe that, for whatever reason, it’s over my head,” Lil Wayne begins, sharing why the NFL passed him over for the show. “Meaning, I don’t know why. Obviously, I believe it’s perfect but I do not know why.
Wayne continues, “Personally, the person I am, I straight look at it like ‘you ain’t there yet, you gotta get there.’”
Bayless doubled down on his disappointment, mentioning that Wayne should get the look to rock in front of the New Orleans crowd as a native son and mentioned there could be other politics and happenings at play.
Later in the conversation, Bayless shared K-Dot’s bars about Wayne in the track “wacced out murals” from the Compton rapper’s GNX album and asked Tunechi to react after he said this was his first time hearing the lyrics.
“I think he meant, I think he saw what everybody else saw, how much it meant to me,” Wayne answers. “He can’t control that. I’ve spoken to him and I wished him all the best.”
Check out the clip of Lil Wayne chatting with Skip Bayless below.
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Photo: Getty
Get ready to toss your beads. On Feb. 8, Diplo and Dom Dolla will co-headline Sports Illustrated‘s annual Super Bowl weekend event, SI The Party, in New Orleans.
The event will go down at Mardi Gras World, a 300,000-square foot facility and local institution where some of the floats for the city’s annual Mardi Gras parades have been made for the last 80 years.
In addition to the music, the event will feature activations from brand partners. Premium and VIP tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 20, with pre-registration open now. VIP passes start at $499.99 and include access to the performances, a five-hour open bar and more.
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SI The Party has become a Super Bowl weekend tradition, with artists including Kygo, The Chainsmokers and Jack Harlow headlining the show in years, and Super Bowl-hosting cities, past. The party typically draws a crowd of sports stars and other heavy hitters, with past attendees including Alex Rodriguez, Shaquille O’Neal, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Kim Kardashian, Miles Teller, Machine Gun Kelly, Kevin Hart, Leonardo Di Caprio and more.
“From the very beginning, our goal has been to create the best experiences at the world’s biggest sports stages,” EVP of entertainment and special projects at Authentic Brands Group, Sports Illustrated’s parent company, said in a statement. “We’ve built SI The Party into a must-attend event, where sports and culture converge in a celebration that is second to none.
“With New Orleans as our backdrop and our unparalleled lineup of talent,” he continues, “this will be the most exciting SI The Party yet.”
The 2025 Super Bowl happens Feb. 9 at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome. Competing teams will be determined during the NFL Playoffs, which begin Jan. 11.
See the flyer for SI The Party below:
Sports Illustrated The Party 2025 flyer
Courtesy Medium Rare for SI The Party
Days before Super Bowl LIX, which will take over New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome on Sunday, Feb. 9, Bud Light will start the weekend right with an intimate show from a massive star. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news On Friday, Feb. 7, Post Malone will perform at […]
The NFL announced during its Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28) broadcast on FOX that Jon Batiste is set to sing the national anthem prior to Super Bowl 2025 kick-off in New Orleans on Feb. 9. In addition to the five-time Grammy-winning artist’s “Star-Spangled Banner” performance, the NFL tapped Louisiana natives Trombone Shorty, Lauren Daigle and Ledisi […]
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Once again, Kendrick Lamar has the Rap world talking. Lil Wayne has seemingly responded to him after being mentioned on GNX.
As spotted on Vulture, the Compton, Calif., rapper made waves last week with the release of his newest project. In it, he makes several references to many of his peers post “Not Like Us.” On “wacced out murals” he raps, “Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down / Whatever, though, call me crazy, everybody questionable / Turn me to an eskimo, I drew the line and decimals.” These lines are a direct reference to him securing the halftime performance for Super Bowl LIX. The 2025 edition is set to be hosted in New Orleans, and Lil Wayne publicly expressed his disappointment on not being able to perform in his hometown after the announcement.
Man wtf I do?!
I just be chillin & dey still kome 4 my head. Let’s not take kindness for weakness. Let this giant sleep. I beg u all. No one really wants destruction,not even me but I shall destroy if disturbed. On me. Love
— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) November 23, 2024
On Saturday (Nov. 23), Tunechi took to X, formerly Twitter, and apparently made reference to the song. “Man wtf I do?! I just be chillin & [they] still [come] 4 my head. Let’s not take kindness for weakness. Let this giant sleep. I beg u all. No one really wants destruction, not even me but I shall destroy if disturbed. On me. Love,” he wrote. This is not the first time Kendrick Lamar referenced Lil Wayne in his music. Back in 2010, he rapped over Kanye West’s “Monster” instrumental and said “I’m the best rapper alive, tell Wayne to swallow his pride.”
During the height of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, Lil Wayne remained neutral and unbothered. Weeks later, he was was spotted rapping the hook to “Not Like Us” prior to performing his verse to “The Motto.”
Lil Wayne rapping “Not Like Us” while performing “The Motto” in Vegas last night.
pic.twitter.com/4f5pjVvMNZ
— Rap Alert (@rapalert6) July 14, 2024
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Lil Wayne has expressed his frustrations over not performing during the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2025 and doubled down on the assertion that he was snubbed. During his annual Lil Weezyana Fest, Lil Wayne addressed the Super Bowl snub and said it was taken away from him.
Over the weekend, Lil Wayne was back in his native New Orleans for this year’s Lil Weezyana Fest and was alongside the entire Hot Boys collective for a reunion performance. Wayne was also honored by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell with a proclamation declaring February 6 and 7 Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter Day. Tunechi was also honored with a key to the city.
During the festival, Wayne spoke on the elephant inside the room regarding Kendrick Lamar getting the halftime performance nod in New Orleans ahead of one of its biggest musical acts. He began his story by mentioning how he attended the Super Bowl in 2009 in Miami with his family and how the moment inspired him.
“That moment I said to myself, I wanna be on stage for the Super Bowl one day in front of my mom and I worked my a** off to get that position,” Wayne said. “It was ripped away from me but this motherf*ckin’ moment right here, they can’t take that from me.”
Lil Wayne addressed the snub back in September by way of a video he posted on social media, stating that being passed over for the slot “hurt” him.
Lil Wayne talks about not getting picked to perform the Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans. He says it felt like it was “ripped away” from him but no one can take away this night.
I’m so glad he got to feel the love from his city. pic.twitter.com/c0fkgkD8f2
— Farrah Yvette (@farrah_yvette) November 3, 2024
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Photo: Getty