Jay-Z Selects NFL Super Bowl Halftime Performer, Says Producer Jesse Collins
Welp, it turns out Jay-Z is the person responsible for selecting the Super Bowl halftime show performer.
Jesse Collins, the Super Bowl’s halftime producer, recently spoke with Variety about the much-talked-about decision to pick Kendrick Lamar as Super Bowl LIX’s performer in New Orleans. Collins was asked who was in charge of selecting the show’s potential headliners, and he revealed it was Hov. Collins made sure to show love to Lil Wayne and expressed that it has always been Jay who has picked the performers for the show.
“We love Wayne,” Collins said. “There’s always Vegas odds on who’s going to get to perform it. But I think we’re going to do an amazing show with Kendrick, and I think everybody’s going to love the halftime show. I know Kendrick is going to work exceptionally hard to deliver an amazing show.”
“It’s a decision that Jay makes,” he added. “Since we’ve been onboard with that show, he’s made it every year, and it’s been amazing. He’s always picked right!”
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The revelation arrives on the heels of Weezy reacting to the news that Lamar would be spearheading the SB LIX halftime show. After Birdman, Nicki Minaj, and even Drake issued their responses to the announcement—all in defense of Wayne—Tha Carter artist revealed that the decision not to choose him “broke me.” Weezy blamed himself for expecting that he would be tapped to headline in his hometown and thanked everyone who defended him.
“First of all, I want to say forgive me for the delay. I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking,” he said. “I’ma say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, love and support out there. Your words turned into arms and held me up when I tried to fall back.”
“That hurt. It hurt a lot. You know what I’m talking about. It hurt a whole lot. 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.”
Folks like Nicki Minaj and Birdman have speculated that Hov’s complex relationship with the latter and Wayne over the years led to him snubbing Wayne. Others online have insisted that it wasn’t Jay-Z who solely selected the halftime show performer, but rather a committee in the hosting city.
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