The Game admits he was âhurtâ about being excluded from the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show.
The Compton-bred rapper revisited the topic in an upcoming episode of I Am Athlete with Brandon Marshall, Pacman Jones and Nick â Swaggy Pâ Young. Though he considered the halftime show a âwin for the culture,â he insisted he deserved a spot on the stage, alongside fellow L.A. artists.
âThe real reason I wasnât on the Super Bowl [Halftime Show] is because Iâm not a âsafeâ artist,ââ he explained in a teaser. âYou donât know what the Game gonâ do when he get up there. So, itâs just like, âHe not safe,â so they went with the safe artists.â
The show was headlined by Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige, with special appearances by 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. Many considered the performance a love letter to L.A. rap culture, despite several of the artists not being from the area. The Game said he believes he shouldâve been involved in the show along with Compton native YG.
âWe, on the West Coast, are the only motherfuckers who have this crab-in-a-barrel mentality, where we wanna keep n***as down ...â he explained. âSnoop Dogg is icon. Dre is icon. Em is an icon, but Em is not from L.A. 50 is not from L.A. Iâm not taking away from the fact that theyâre were on the Super Bowl, but L.A. [artists] wouldnât have been in the Detroit Super Bowl or New York Super Bowl. It just wouldnât have happened âŚÂ L.A., L.A., L.A. all around the Super Bowl and I didnât get the call.â
When asked how that made him feel, the Game said, âI was hurt by that.â
The Game said he had no issues with the performers, but believes Dre shouldâve at least contacted him to explain why he wasnât included.
âI talk to Dre often. I just know if I was Dre and he was Game, he wouldâve been up there,â he continued. âThatâs just it. Itâs L.A. I am L.A. Iâm in the streets âŚÂ So, yeah, I was hurt. Now am I bothered by it today? Iâm not bothered by it today.â
You can hear the Gameâs comments in the preview above. The full episode airs at noon ET Monday.