Fat Joe Says Super Bowl Wouldn’t Have Rappers Headline Halftime Show if Jay-Z Hadn’t Partnered With NFL

Fat Joe is defending Jay-Z amid Kendrick Lamar’s announcement that he’s playing the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.

“Years ago, the beef with the NFL was that Black people wasn’t represented and they were doing us wrong, even though we were the talent, whatever the case,” Joe said on Instagram Live on Tuesday. “But then they brought JAY-Z and Roc Nation to do the shows and they brought out Dr. Dre, Eminem, everybody, number one ratings, Rihanna—they killing it.”

“So now, of course, the hip-hop community likes to attack the hip-hop," he added. "Yeah, Jay-Z’s a big voice but, you know, he gotta go through the NFL ranks, the Roger Goodells, everything like that, so they can come up with who’s performing at halftime,” he continued. “It ain’t just one man’s decision—that I know of. So to just go to blame [one] man…”

Joe said if Jay-Z wasn't leading the charge, "it'd be no hip hop," because "there never was Hip Hop. You’d be listening to, ‘Don’t go messin’ with a cotton-eyed boy / Cotton-eyed Joe / Cotton-eyed Joe.’ You’d be listening to that shit at halftime.”

On Sunday, Lamar revealed that he would be headlining the NFL’s main event next February in New Orleans. His announcement sparked backlash, with many hip-hop pundits and artists wondering why Lil Wayne wasn’t selected to play the major gig in his hometown.

Among those who openly slammed the announcement were Weezy’s longtime collaborators and friends, Nicki Minaj and Birdman.

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Birdman took to X: “I’m make these n***az respek us on Gladys,” he wrote, referencing his late mother. Minaj, meanwhile, took direct aim at Hov: “Tried to tell y’all but y’all wanted brunch,” she tweeted.

Drake also appeared to respond to Kung Fu Kenny’s news by sharing several photos of Tunechi on his IG Story. Juvenile, a New Orleans native, also took offense to the announcement and pushed back.

"Look, I'm mad about the situation just like y'all man,” Juvenile said online. “But look, my hatred is toward the NFL. Not really the people who booked the halftime show. I'm mad at the people who hired the motherfuckers who booked the halftime show. I feel like y'all should step in. Ya'll booked 11 Super Bowls in New Orleans. Y'all have yet to put a hip-hop act from New Orleans on the damn Super Bowl.”