Nicki Minaj Calls Out Jay-Z for Snubbing Lil Wayne! 😠 Plus, Jay-Z’s Shocking Choice Between Kendrick and Drake

Kendrick Lamar has just been announced as the headliner for next year’s Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans, and it’s causing quite a stir. While many fans are pumped about this news, others feel that Lil Wayne should have been chosen instead. I’ll get into that debate in a moment, but first, I want to say how thrilled I am for Kendrick. He’s truly one of the greatest hip-hop performers ever, and his live shows are incredible. Anyone who thinks he won’t bring it or doesn’t have enough hits is in for a surprise—Kendrick is definitely going to deliver.

Just imagine the possibilities for his performance. He could bring out surprise guests like Rihanna for “Loyalty” or Janet Jackson for “Poetic Justice.” That would be something else! There’s so much he could do with this opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how he’ll make it memorable.

Kendrick’s knack for strategy is also worth mentioning. Remember the recent beef with Drake? On “First Person Shooter,” Drake was boasting about his and J. Cole’s status, comparing them to Super Bowl-level stars. Yet, here we are with Kendrick landing the Super Bowl halftime show. It’s a wild twist and really highlights Kendrick’s impressive reach and influence.

Even though I’m excited about Kendrick’s performance, I can’t shake the feeling that something feels off about how this came together. There’s some politics at play here that make me go, “Hmm.” Clearly, this is a hit to Drake. The question is, who decided to have Kendrick headline the halftime show? Jay-Z did. As the curator of the halftime show through his Roc Nation company, Jay-Z has a lot of sway over who performs. Sure, there’s input from the director, producer, and the city, but Jay-Z’s influence is significant. His company is involved in a lot of the production work, so his role shouldn’t be underestimated.

Jay-Z’s influence is clear—over the past four years, we’ve seen only Black artists headline the Super Bowl, which is a great thing. I have to give Jay-Z props for championing the culture. I’m not upset about Kendrick getting the spot; he might have been chosen for other reasons too. It’s possible there could be a future collaboration between PG Lang and Roc Nation.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Is Jay-Z’s choice of Kendrick partly a swipe at Drake? It feels a bit odd, especially considering Kendrick is one of Drake’s main rivals. Makes me wonder if Jay-Z and Drake’s relationship isn’t as smooth as it used to be. They’ve had their moments of friendly competition, but it’s not always been so light-hearted.

Jay-Z clearly respects Drake and knows Drake respects him too. Their rivalry has had its moments, like when Jay-Z and Kanye released “Watch the Throne” after Drake and Lil Wayne were planning a collaboration. Kanye admitted they were anxious about Drake’s rising influence, so they put together “Watch the Throne” to keep ahead. That move didn’t sit well with Drake and Lil Wayne, which makes this latest decision even more intriguing.

We still need to get that album done—yeah, it’s still on the agenda. And guess what? Two other rappers are teaming up for an album too. Not sure where they got that idea, but I mentioned it at home and asked her what she wanted to watch. She said, “Definitely not ‘The Throne.’ Me and H never made ‘Watch the Throne.'” So, yeah, there’s definitely some pressure now.

Honestly, the whole “Watch the Throne” drama wasn’t as big a deal as it seemed. It was really just about competition and bravado, which is kind of the nature of hip-hop. It’s like a sport, and rappers are always competing. But things did get a bit heated. The big shift came when Drake decided not to join Jay-Z’s Tidal venture. Jay-Z was trying to promote his own streaming platform, Tidal, and got all the major names on board—except Drake. Instead, Drake went with Apple, Tidal’s rival, which didn’t sit well with Jay-Z.

After that, things started going sideways for Drake. His reference tracks got leaked, he was outed for using a ghostwriter, and Jay-Z’s artist, Meek Mill, started coming after him. Looking back, it seems a bit too coincidental. It felt like it was all planned, just like how Kendrick, Future, and others in the industry suddenly started targeting Drake this year.

Drake isn’t exactly innocent—he’s taken shots at people in his music, been involved with some of their partners, and made some shady deals. But it’s pretty wild to see so many artists come together against him all at once. It feels like there might be some orchestrated effort behind it, and some people think Jay-Z might be pulling the strings. Who knows?
I just realized something interesting: didn’t Drake side with Tory Lanez against Megan Thee Stallion, who’s Jay-Z’s artist? In his song “Circles,” Drake seemed to suggest that Megan might have lied about getting shot. That’s something to consider. And now, Jay-Z might be retaliating by bringing Kendrick Lamar, who’s a big rival of Drake, to headline the halftime show.

It’s also worth noting that Jay-Z’s associates, like Elliot Wilson and Jack Dorsey, have been taking jabs at Drake. That’s not just a coincidence. It looks like Drake has teamed up with 50 Cent, who’s known for having his own issues with Jay-Z. It makes sense—Drake probably needed a powerful ally who isn’t afraid of Jay-Z. There’s even talk that Jay-Z didn’t want 50 Cent at the Super Bowl, but Eminem insisted on his inclusion, saying he wouldn’t perform without 50. Jay-Z’s reluctance to have 50 perform highlights the ongoing competition between them.

Drake’s recent comments and behavior might be his way of pushing back in this competitive environment. It’s also been suggested that Jay-Z’s success has been closely tied to his association with Beyoncé, with his career hitting new heights after their partnership began.

Switching topics, there’s been a lot of talk about Jay-Z choosing Kendrick Lamar over Lil Wayne for the Super Bowl halftime show. With the Super Bowl coming to New Orleans next year, Wayne’s hometown, many fans feel he deserved the spot. He’s already shown interest in headlining, which adds to the controversy.
“Oh man, it looks like Wayne isn’t going to be in the Super Bowl this year. We were all hoping for a Wayne halftime show!”

So, what’s the deal? I want to be upfront here: I haven’t gotten any calls. I’m CJ, and we’re all just crossing our fingers and hoping for the best. I’m putting in the work to make sure my next album is amazing. I want to make it really hard for them not to pick me. Wayne definitely wanted to perform, and I’m sure Jay-Z knew that. But Jay-Z chose Kendrick instead. Some folks think this is a snub or a shady move, but did Jay-Z really snub Lil Wayne? I don’t think so. Kendrick was just the right fit for what Jay-Z was looking for.

That’s just how things roll in the industry. It might feel like a snub, but it’s not really that personal. Jay-Z had his reasons for picking Kendrick, and I’m sure it’s going to be an awesome show. Let’s give Kendrick his props, and remember that Lil Wayne will get his chance soon enough.

That’s all for now. Thanks for tuning in! Let me know what you think in the comments. Are you excited about Kendrick Lamar performing at the Super Bowl halftime show? Do you think Lil Wayne should have been picked instead? Drop your thoughts below, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!
So, about Lil Wayne—I know there was a time when you guys were really close to signing him. What went sideways with that deal? It seemed like Wayne was practically declaring himself part of Rockefeller, and then suddenly, it all fell apart. Here’s the scoop: after meeting with Wayne, I felt it was only right to give Baby a heads-up out of respect. I called him up and said, “Hey, I was talking to Wayne, just wanted to keep you in the loop.” Not long after, we got a letter accusing us of tortious interference, and that threw us for a loop. It was like, “Whoa, what’s going on here?” Things went downhill from there.

Jay-Z’s bid to snag Young Money didn’t work out, and he couldn’t make a deal with Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Drake. It must have been frustrating for him, especially as they kept blowing up. It’s no wonder there were rumors that the industry might have tried to bring them down. This might also explain why Jay-Z didn’t pick Lil Wayne for the halftime show—there could be lingering issues from that failed business deal.

People definitely voiced their displeasure. Reginae Carter, Birdman, Juvenile, and Cam’ron were all vocal about it. Reginae suggested there was envy over Wayne’s success, and Birdman straight-up accused Jay-Z of hating. Lil Wayne’s manager, Fabon, was confused and disappointed but also motivated to ensure they’d never be at someone else’s mercy again. Master P and Lil Boosie spoke out, calling it unfair for Wayne not to headline. Juvenile pointed out that despite New Orleans hosting numerous Super Bowls, they’ve never featured a local hip-hop artist, which hit hard this time around. Cam’ron and Mase also criticized Jay-Z, suggesting that Wayne’s exclusion might be payback for past conflicts. They felt it was ridiculous for Lil Wayne not to be part of the Super Bowl, implying that personal grudges were at play.
Nicki Minaj recently went off on Jay-Z and Gee Roberson, defending Lil Wayne and throwing some serious shade at Jay-Z. She said, “One end took a knee; the other end took the bag. He’s going to get you ends in line every effing time.” What she’s talking about is Colin Kaepernick’s protest against police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem. At first, Jay-Z seemed to support Kaepernick—he even wore his jersey. But then Jay-Z signed a deal with the NFL and said, “We’re past kneeling.” Basically, he was like, “Forget what Kaepernick’s talking about; I’m here to make money.”

Nicki didn’t hold back in her criticism. She called out the situation, saying, “This got everything in the world. Still spiteful and evil. Disgusting. Be happy, I beg. Go effing be happy, dude. And rap business and women’s business when you got the politicians and the police, you’re good though.” She also slammed people who prioritize attending Jay-Z’s Rock Nation brunch over addressing real issues, saying, “I tried to tell y’all, but y’all wanted brunch. I’m on an effing roll.”

Nicki’s frustration was clear when she said, “Denying a young Black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego, your hatred for Drake and Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne, the GOAT.” She took a jab at G. Robinson, who used to work with Jay-Z and later managed Nicki but had a falling out with her. Nicki called out how some people want others to bend over backward for accolades, saying, “Want ends to suck his D for a Grammy? Want them to suck his D to do the halftime show? Ooh, LOL. Glad I did it already,” referring to her own halftime performance years ago.

She also touched on Rock Nation’s connection to her brand, saying, “Yep, everyone’s aware. Clearly, they don’t care, so why should I? What am I going to do, child?” Nicki made it clear she supports Lil Wayne wholeheartedly, and added, “You can love and respect Kendrick and still love and respect Wayne. Even Kendrick loves and respects Wayne. Every real rapper loves and respects Wayne.”

This whole situation shows that the beef between Jay-Z, Rock Nation, and Young Money is still very much alive. It’s a shame that this drama is overshadowing Kendrick Lamar’s big moment. Kendrick’s about to make a huge splash, and it would be amazing if he could bring out some New Orleans legends like Wayne. What do you think about all this? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and if you enjoyed this, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe. Thanks for watching, and see you next time!