Snoop Dogg recently addressed the controversy surrounding Lil Wayne’s exclusion from the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show diplomatically.
The NFL announced earlier this month that Kendrick Lamar would perform at the February event in New Orleans, sparking outcry from Wayne’s fans and some celebrities, who felt a New Orleans native-like Wayne should have been chosen over Los Angeles’ Lamar.
In a candid interview with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson for Nightcap, Snoop refrained from taking sides in the debate.
“I don’t really have no opinion, but what I do wanna say is that, just remember where the NFL was 15 years ago when it comes to Hip-Hop. How many Hip-Hop artists were able to grace that stage 15 years ago? So, I understand both sides of the coin and I understand how people feel,” he said.
Reflecting on his experience participating in the Super Bowl LVI halftime show in 2022 alongside Dr. Dre, Kendrick, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige, Snoop acknowledged the opportunity he received through Dr. Dre. “I have no answer, no opinion because I had the opportunity to get up there via Dr. Dre. I didn’t do any Snoop Dogg songs. I was up there helping Dr. Dre and it became a great moment for all of us. So, any time anybody can get on that Super Bowl stage, remember this: it’s a 12/13-minute performance and you’re not getting paid. It’s more or less you have to spend money to upgrade your show to make it mass appealing for the audience that’s home watching,” Snoop remarked.
Snoop also expressed admiration for Lil Wayne.
“Remember, I was at No Limit Records for three years and I watched his whole career come to life and then watched him get bigger than me and I was gigantic at the time and I loved seeing his growth,” Snoop added. “Me and Wayne is family to this day, me and Kendrick is family to this day, and me and JAY-Z, and me and (NFL commissioner) Roger Goodell. I don’t know who is the decision maker, all I know is that I’ll be at home watching the Super Bowl and when the halftime show comes on, I’ll be watching that as well.”
Lil Wayne reacted to the halftime show snub by expressing disappointment and taking responsibility.
“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,” the 41-year-old, real name Dwayne Carter Jr., shared. “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.”
Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show at the Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9, 2025.
