Fat Joe Praises JAY-Z For Bringing Hip-Hop To The NFL

Fat Joe has come to the defense of JAY-Z, following backlash from fans after the announcement that Kendrick Lamar, not Lil Wayne, will headline the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in New Orleans.

Rap figures such as Nicki Minaj, Juvenile, Birdman and more have spoken out in support of Lil Wayne following the announcement despite Weezy being a hometown hero and favorite for the event. Additionally, many fans who were hoping to see the Carter V rapper on one of the world’s largest stages, have also added to the immense discourse on the situation. On Tuesday (September 10), Fat Joe took to Instagram Live to set the record straight, praising JAY-Z’s involvement in bringing Hip-Hop to the NFL.

“Years ago, the beef with the NFL was that Black people wasn’t represented and they was doing us wrong, even though we was the talent,” Fat Joe said. “But then they put JAY-Z and Roc Nation to do the shows, and they brought out Dr. Dre, Eminem, everybody,” he said. “Number one ratings, Rihanna. This, they killing it.”

In light of the criticism JAY-Z is facing for not choosing Lil Wayne to perform, Joe argued that the decision making process is far more complex than fans realize.

“So yeah, JAY-Z’s a big voice, but he got to go through the NFL ranks, the Roger Goodells’, everything like that so they could come out with who’s performing at halftime,” he explained. “It ain’t just one man’s decision that I know of.”

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Fat Joe took his defense even further, warning that without JAY-Z’s influence, Hip-Hop might still be locked out of the NFL entirely.

“How about if he wasn’t doing these shows,” he questioned rhetorically. “It’d be no Hip-Hop. If he wasn’t doing the Halftime, the Roc Nation—there’d be no Hip-Hop because there never was Hip-Hop,” Joe said passionately.

He drove the point home by concluding with a blunt example of what could be the reality for the Super Bow without JAY-Z.

“You’d be listening to ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ at halftime.”

Since JAY-Z and Roc Nation started booking the Halftime Show, viewership has spiked dramatically. The 2022 Halftime Show featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige drew an audience of 103.4 million viewers—up from the 96.7 million viewers who tuned in the previous year. Similarly, Rihanna’s 2023 performance amassed 118.7 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime shows of all time.

Fat Joe’s message is clear in supporting the notion that while some fans may be disappointed, JAY-Z’s involvement has been a game-changer for Hip-Hop’s visibility on one of the world’s largest stages. As he put it best, “Be careful what you wish for.”