Cam Newton dissents the NFL’s decision to make Kendrick Lamar the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in New Orleans
Cam Newton wants to see artists based out of New Orleans to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show.
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Cam Newton and Kendrick Lamar (Image Credits: L-via IMAGO, R-via Vogue)
The stage is set for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. After 11 years, the Caesars Superdome will host the duel between the best NFL teams in pursuit of the Lombardi Trophy. This time, Kendrick Lamar will perform at the iconic halftime show in the Super Bowl. The 17-time Grammy awardee has had a phenomenal year, especially after his blockbuster hit “Not like us.”
It was unsurprising to see the NFL go with Kendrick Lamar to perform on the biggest stage. However, former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton believes the league should have replicated its approach towards Super Bowl LVI held in Los Angeles. The big event was headlined by legends who were born and brought up in LA such as Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.
Cam Newton opined that Super Bowl halftime shows are best when global artists hail from the region which make it a big headline.
Of course we all want to hear ‘Ten ten ten ten’ (the starting soundtrack of Not Like Us) that’s cool. But one thing that they did in Los Angeles that I thought was so brilliant was they put people onto the West Coast culture and I think with a big platform like Super Bowl going into New Orleans, why not Lil Wayne, why not Master P, why not Cash Money?
Cam Newton on First Take
The former NFL MVP believes that it would be great if the league attempted to bring the likes of Lil Wayne, Master P, and Cash Money, all hailing from New Orleans to light up Super Bowl LIX. It does make sense because, after all, they are certified local legends.
Cam Newton aside, Jay-Z has the final say on which artist performs at the Super Bowl halftime show
Cam Newton makes a valid point but the NFL’s approach has been to bring on the hottest artists of that particular year, artists that appeal to a global audience, artists that bring people from different races and cultures together, and artists that have taken the music world by storm. This year, that person is undoubtedly Kendrick Lamar.
It’s just one of them whole situations that’s like, it’s so many other performers… You take a big platform like the Super Bowl, why not bring people who are not familiar with this area or how they entertain each other…
Cam Newton further solidified his argument
He raises a logically sound point. But one needs to understand that when the Super Bowl is held in a city, the locals do not form the majority of the audience.
Local businesses witness a surge in their numbers owing to the massive influx of visitors. For instance, the last time New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl in 2013, the event brought an estimated $480 million in economic impact to Louisiana.
The event is dominated by visitors and as a result, they usually prefer to watch the hottest artist of that year headlining the event. While the artists that Newton names are no scrubs, think of it from a monetary perspective.
Would Super Bowl LIX attract more fans if the NFL chose Lil Wayne, Cash Money, and Master P or would their odds of securing higher ratings and more ticket sales increase if they chose to bring Kendrick Lamar to headline the event? The latter is the answer.
Cam Newton has the right idea but to the NFL, if it makes money, then it makes sense. Besides, since outsourcing the decision-making process of choosing the halftime show performer to Roc Nation Sports in 2019, it has been Jay-Z who has been calling the shots. “It’s a decision that Jay makes,” Jesse Collins, a prominent music producer revealed in an interview with Variety. Irrespective of the headlining artist, Super Bowl LIX will be a profitable endeavor for businesses based out of Louisiana.
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Sumedh Joshi
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