The sports broadcaster has responded to the rapper’s recent rant about Lil Wayne not being selected to headline the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans next year, blaming Jay-Z for the selection. In his own rant, recorded on the Sept. 11 episode of his eponymous podcast, the 56-year-old came to Hov’s defense.
“I respect you, I respect your work, I respect what you accomplished [but] who else [are] you going to get in a beef with?” he asked while naming former adversaries of the rapper. “Every time we turn around it’s something, Nicki. [If] you disagree with the decision, [then] you disagree with the decision, but [do] you have to talk to a brother like that?”
He continued, “And why are we talking about Jay-Z like he some damn sell-out or something? Need I remind y’all of all the hip-hop artists, all the R&B people that have been performing at Super Bowl halftime since he’s been involved in 2019? You know how hard it is for a Black man to pull off what Jay-Z pulled off?”
Jay-Z attends Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.
“How unappreciative can you be?” Smith yells. “It ain’t about you as an individual it’s about us. all of us, as black people. And that brother right there Jay-Z has been front and center in pushing the envelope. You gon’ call him a sellout?… He don’t deserve that.”
Earlier this week, the Queens rapper used social media to share her unfiltered opinion after Kendrick Lamar was announced by the NFL as the headliner for the upcoming national championship. Jay-Z and Roc Nation have worked with the league in producing the halftime concert since 2019. In her uploads to X, Minaj did not directly name Jay-Z, but it was pretty clear.
“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego. Your hatred for BIRDMAN , Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!! Nola what’s good?!!!!!! Eminem stood firm on having 50Cent come out. A white man. Sh*t sad. House N***ER TINGZ. but it’s GOOD FI DEM!!!!!!! No loyalty ? Welp. then n**gaz will keep son’ing you!!!!! #DTLR #GagCityDC LMFAOOOOOOOOOO GOODAZ FI DEL GAL U AH GOODAZ FI DEM,” she typed.
Lil Wayne performs onstage at the NBA 2K23 Launch Event at Rolling Greens on September 07, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
In a follow-up post, she clarified her stance writing “You can love & respect Kendrick and still love & respect Wayne. Even Kendrick loves & respects Wayne. Every real rapper loves & respects Wayne.”
Lil Wayne himself has yet to publicly speak on the uproar regarding the decision.
Watch a clip of The Stephen A. Smith podcast where he responds to Nicki Minaj below.
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