While some in hip-hop were adamant that Lil Wayne should perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans next year, Snoop Dogg — who actually did perform in LA in 2022 — was more measured in his response to the controversy over the NFL booking Kendrick Lamar instead. Appearing on Nightcap with hosts Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, Snoop addressed fans’ concerns while offering up a perspective some might not have considered.
“I don’t really have no opinion,” he said. “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 was able to grace that stage 15 years ago? So, I understand both sides of the coin and I understand how people feel.”
However, he acknowledged his own performance two years ago, noting, “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.” Then, he reminded viewers that “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.”
And that, more than anything, might be the reason for Kendrick’s selection over Wayne. Totally separate from the conversations we’ve already discussed here and here, what are the odds Wayne — who spent 15 years fighting Birdman for the rights and royalties to his music — would have the budget for a Super Bowl-level show? We’ve seen Kendrick do it time and time again, whether on tour for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers or on the Grammy stage.
While it would have been cool for the local act to get some shine in his hometown, the fact is, the show isn’t about the venue — it’s about keeping 100 million people from changing the channel between halves of The Big Game (true story; the Super Bowl Halftime in its current incarnation is the result of a ratings war with In Living Color). Those brands pay a lot of money for those Super Bowl ads, and they want people to see ’em. If the NFL feels that’s more likely with a contemporary superstar like Kendrick than a cult favorite like Wayne, then that’s just how it’s going to be.
