Kendrick Lamar addresses Lil Wayne, Super Bowl controversy on new album

Grammy award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar seemingly addressed the Super Bowl controversy in his surprise 12-track album “GNX,” which has left hip-hop fans in a frenzy.
In the intro song “wacced out murals,” the Compton, California MC touched on Lil Wayne and the overall reaction to his announcement that he will headline the 2025 Apple Music halftime show in February.
The NFL’s decision sparked a heated debate online amongst fans and music pundits on whether he should have been chosen over the “A Milli” rapper, who was born and raised in New Orleans, where Super Bowl 59 is slated to take place.
“Used to bump ‘Tha Carter III,’ I held my Rollie chain proud/ Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down,” Lamar rapped.
In another line, he didn’t hold anything back: “Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me/ All these (expletive) agitated/ I’m just glad it’s on their faces/ Quite frankly, plenty artist but they outdated/ Old (expletive) flows trying to convince me that you they favorite.”
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Surprise album:Kendrick Lamar drops ‘GNX’
Lil Wayne publicly expressed his disappointment over not being selected for the Super Bowl in an Instagram Live video following the announcement in September.
“I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for just automatically mentally putting myself in that position,” the legendary rapper stated. “I thought there was nothing better than that spot, that stage, that platform, in my city. So it hurt, it hurt a whole lot.”
“It broke me,” he said, adding, “But my God, have you all helped me?”
Wayne echoed his feelings at his jam-packed 2024 Lil Weezyana Fest at the Smoothie King Center in his hometown earlier this month, saying that he always wanted to perform at the Super Bowl in front of his mother.
“I worked my (expletive) off to get that (expletive) position. It was ripped away from me. But this… moment right here, they can’t take that,” he said in front of a cheering crowd.
Lamar shared a link to his new project on Friday, without warning, at 12:00 p.m. ET. The album is the latest addition to his 2024 run − on the heels of the attention-grabbing rap battle with Drake and the success of his hit diss song “Not Like Us,” which debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has received a whopping five Grammy nominations.
He made headlines following his historic Juneteenth show, “The Pop Out—Ken & Friends,” during which he notably played the song multiple times.
The sold-out concert was what critics have called his “victory lap,” an ode to his city amid the rap beef. It featured appearances from YG, Roddy Rich, and the supergroup Black Hippy.
“Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar,” the NFL’s head of music, Seth Dudowsky, said in the halftime show announcement. “Time and time again, Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop.”
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].