Over the years, Wayne has been vocal about his desire to perform during halftime of the NFL's championship game, which will be held at the Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9. It will be the second time Lamar will perform during the halftime show after he made a guest appearance with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Eminem in 2022.
Wayne appeared somber in the video, saying he had to muster up enough strength to express his thoughts "without breaking.”
“That hurt a whole lot,” said Wayne, a five-time Grammy winner, who has a variety of hits including “Lollipop” featuring Static Major, “Mr. Carter” with Jay-Z, “Go DJ” and “A Milli.” He also helped ignite the careers of Drake, Nicki Minaj and Tyga.
“I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown, for automatically mentally putting myself in that position," he said. "I thought there was nothing better than that spot, on that stage, on that platform in my city.”
Wayne thanked his supporters — including Minaj and Birdman — who have spoken up on his behalf.
“I feel like I let all of ya’ll down for not getting that opportunity,” Wayne said.
However, Wayne also noted that “Your words turned into arms and held me up when I tried to fall back.”