Despite Lil Wayne Super Bowl Dust-Up, NFL Re-Ups Jay-Z Contract

Photo Credit: Manny Faces | The Center for Hip-Hop Advocacy

Despite Lil Wayne getting his feelings hurt over not being chosen as the Halftime performer at this year’s Super Bowl, the NFL is re-upping its contract with Jay-Z and Roc Nation.Bloomberg reports that the league has extended its deal with Jay-Z and Roc Nation to oversee the annual halftime show and its social justice initiatives. Kendrick Lamar was announced as the performer for this year, despite an online campaign by Nicki Minaj and others to see Lil Wayne honored as a performer. This year’s Super Bowl is happening in New Orleans—which is Tunechi’s old stomping grounds. He expressed sadness about not being considered on social media, but its rare for halftime performers to actually be from the city in which the Super Bowl is taking place that year.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called the partnership between the NFL and Roc Nation a “mutually positive relationship.” “I’m not sure either one of us really spend much time talking about contracts. Jay is happy, Desiree Perez is happy. I’m happy, so we’re all good,” Goodell told Bloomberg.

Jay-Z first minted his partnership with the NFL in 2019, with the initial deal for $25 million over five years ESPN reports. It’s unclear how much this new contract re-up was for or how long it will last. The partnership has helped put Black music front and center during the Super Bowl Halftime Show, with performances from The Weeknd, Rihanna, Usher, and the all-star gathering of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent.Lil Wayne took to Instagram to express his disappointment at being left out of this year’s Super Bowl show in September. “I thought there was nothing better that spot, on that stage, on that platform,” the rapper said. His exclusion this year hurt he says, “It broke me, but I’m just trying to put myself back together,” he said of the NFL’s decision to host Kendrick Lamar this year.

Neither Roc Nation nor the NFL have commented publicly on Lil Wayne’s disappointment—but hey, The Rolling Stones have a song for situations just like this—You Can’t Always Get What You Want.