The NFL has confirmed that recent rumors about Drake declining multiple offers to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show are untrue. The rumors strongly indicated that the Canadian rapper had declined four times: the 2020 and 2021 editions among them. However, sources close to the NFL have emphatically denied the rumors outright, stating that Drake was never offered the halftime performance.
That rumor initially came through from the “Rory & Mal” podcast, where the podcaster Mal claimed Drake passed on an offer to perform at the Super Bowl four times. Music journalist Elliot Wilson claimed he was asked to perform at the 2020 and 2021 Super Bowl halftime shows but turned down both offers. Just like that, the story went through the rounds on different media outlets, gaining a lot of momentum with the fans and industry folk.
But sources within the NFL quickly shut down the rumors, hailing them as completely untrue. Bloomberg sports reporter Randall Williams said that, in fact, through the five years since the NFL and Roc Nation had combined efforts, Drake was never officially offered the halftime show: “An NFL source referred to the reports of the league offering Drake a Super Bowl performance as a ‘blatant lie,’ further debunking the story that had gained widespread attention. The refutation barely left room for doubt that during such a period, Drake was never in serious consideration for the iconic halftime show.
That Drake has, in the recent past, been closely associated with Roc Nation, which has chosen the halftime show performer since Jay-Z’s involvement in 2019, added credence to the rumor, perhaps.
Given his stature as one of the biggest artists around the world, many found it believable that Drake would have been one of those considered for such a prestigious event. In fact, this rumor recently got extra mileage when it was announced that Kendrick Lamar would headline the 2025 Super Bowl LIX halftime show, further feeding speculation as to why artists like Drake or Lil Wayne were not chosen.
None other than Lil Wayne was quite vocal about his disappointment with the selection of Kendrick Lamar, as the event is to be held in New Orleans in 2025. In a very emotional post on Instagram, it was shared by the rapper as to how deeply personal it was not to be chosen for such an important event to be held in his city. Indeed, the heartfelt message shared by Lil Wayne surely engaged his fans, and many of them started giving their opinions on whether the decision-making has been done by the NFL appropriate or not.
