Juvenile & Mannie Fresh Are Down To Join Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance

Juvenile was previously very angry at the NFL for not picking Lil Wayne as the next Super Bowl halftime performer, a spot that Kendrick Lamar got. But it seems like he’s down to join forces to make things right in his eyes. Moreover, the Cash Money alum and his label mate Mannie Fresh recently stopped by Power 106‘s “Brown Bag Mornings” program, during which they discussed Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans next February. Of course, you probably know all the discourse around the halftime show pick. The hometown “snub,” the Drake beef, Young Money loyalty, etc. However, they think it could be a huge moment.

“Oh, we are there,” Juvenile remarked when asked about Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show performance and whether they’d accept Kendrick’s call for them to perform if he makes it. “Kendrick is one of the best performers we’ve ever seen. […] In the hip-hop world, he raises the bar. So it’s something that everybody wants to see. And if he calls, I’m there.”

Juvenile & Mannie Fresh Address Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl

“The thing is, the Internet makes something that it’s not,” Mannie Fresh added concerning Kendrick Lamar. “[They] feel like we took a side because we said, ‘It would be cool if Wayne was in it.’ Of course we do, that’s our team. But, respectfully, Kendrick is, you know, he’s that dude.” Juvenile added that he never meant to shade K.Dot and never did, remarking on how he doesn’t tear people down to lift others up. However, he did speak on how Lil Wayne really wanted that Super Bowl halftime show and campaigned for it, suggesting that the Compton lyricist should at least reach out to try to make something happen.

Will that really manifest when Young Money and Drake’s entourage probably don’t want anything to do with Kendrick Lamar at this point? Maybe… Maybe not. Despite the mixed reactions to the NFL’s selection, everyone is still very curious as to what will go down in New Orleans on February 9. Many hip-hop fans would love to see Cash Money represented onstage, even if it seems unlikely. Let’s cross our fingers and see what comes next.

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case.

Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.