50 Cent Says Kendrick Lamar 'Deserves' 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show Gig: 'Right Now, He's the Guy'

Mar. 15, 2025

50 Cent in June 2024; Kendrick Lamar in February 2024; Lil Wayne in July 2023.Photo:Slaven Vlasic/Getty; Stefanie Keenan/Getty; Frazer Harrison/Getty

Slaven Vlasic/Getty; Stefanie Keenan/Getty; Frazer Harrison/Getty

50 Centis all for the NFL’s decision to selectKendrick Lamaras thenext Super Bowl Halftime Show performer, a decision that has prompted controversy as some believeLil Wayneshould have been tapped for the gig, which will take place in his New Orleans hometown.

In conversation withThe Talk, the rapper, 49, highlighted his support for Lamar taking on the job.

“I mean, it was a choice,” he shared. “I think Kendrick deserves, as a solo artist right now, he’s the guy. But having the game be in New Orleans, having the game be played in New Orleans I can see why they got the Wayne… I think the way the last show was put together with me, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Kendrick was there then and Mary J. Blige.”

50 Cent in March 2024.Kevin Mazur/Getty

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Sheryl Underwood, who co-hostsThe Talk, noted to 50 Cent that Lamar could very well bring out New Orleans rap icons such as Juvenile, but 50 Cent maintained that Lamar should forge his own path, bringing out artists who have been significant to his career.

“He should bring out the people that he featured on big records with,” he said.

When news of Lamar’s placement was shared, some rappers spoke out about the gig not going to Wayne, which even spurred the “How to Love” creator torespond to the situationin his own words.

Kendrick Lamar in July 2022.Jason Koerner/Getty

Jason Koerner/Getty

“I must say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, all the love and support out there. Your words turned into arms and held me up when I tried to fall back," the rapper, 41, said in anInstagrampost.

“That hurt. It hurt a lot. You know what I’m talking about — it hurt a whole lot,” Wayne noted of the snub. “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."

“But,” he added, “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.”

Lil Wayne in September 2023.John Salangsang/Shutterstock

John Salangsang/Shutterstock

source: people.com