Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation, is explaining the decision behind selecting Kendrick Lamar as the headliner for the Super Bowl Halftime show. She dismissed suggestions that the choice was intended to undermine Lil Wayne, emphasizing that it was more about reflecting
“the pulse of the times.”
In a recent interview with NOLA.com, she elaborated on the reasons for choosing Lamar, despite his lack of ties to New Orleans. She told the outlet,
“New Orleans is so rich in culture. We have to take into consideration (that) whoever is going to perform can speak to music culture, regardless of age. It has to nod to real music, regardless of the genre. And Kendrick does that. Kendrick’s richness and culture is really a nod to New Orleans.”
Perez noted that Lil Wayne was indeed considered for the role. She even expressed compassion for the legendary New Orleans rapper when she found out he was disheartened by not being selected.
“Aww…I actually didn’t know he had said that. We love that everybody wants to be on the stage, that we’ve completely changed the conversation to fighting for it versus boycotting. We’ve come a long way.”
Wayne also revealed in a December interview that he spoke to Kendrick Lamar and resolved any issues that existed between them.
“I’ve spoken to him and I wished him all the best and told him he better kill it. He gotta kill it,”
he said.
According to Perez, the Super Bowl made a lot of changes since Roc Nation joined forces with the NFL. She pointed out that a shift happened after the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta.
“The goal was to get the halftime show to be something that artists are excited to perform at,”
she said.
“How do we make this about the music and the moment, and not about everything else that’s going on around it.”
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
