The Rapper Who Showed Up To Support Joe Burrow After His Super Bowl Loss
Joe Burrow was understandably dejected after his Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI. After the game, Burrow likened the defeat to a loss in high school which was "the worst day of his life," per ESPN's Ben Baby. The quarterback wasted little time in apologizing to fans for failing to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Ohio. "Sorry we couldn't get it done. Proud of our team and our fans. Love these guys," Burrow tweeted mere hours after losing the game.
The loss hurt Burrow and his teammates, but they viewed it as a source of inspiration for the next season. "We're probably as hungry now as we were before the game," the young quarterback said in his post-game press conference, per Bengals reporter Marisa Contipelli. "Not just for us, but for the fans as well," Burrow added. The sting of defeat was strong for the Bengals that night, but Burrow believed there would be more Super Bowl appearances in the near future. "We take this and let it fuel you for the rest of our careers," he told the press, per NFL.com.
Leading up to Super Bowl LVI, Burrow earned the attention of several notable fans including fellow Ohioan LeBron James. "Joe B is the absolute TRUTH!! We all saw and knew it!" James tweeted about the quarterback on January 30. Following the disappointing loss, it was a famous rapper who helped Burrow briefly forget his worries.
Joe Burrow and Kid Cudi's blossoming friendship
Instead of dwelling on defeat, Ohio-born rapper Kid Cudi performed onstage while celebrating the Cincinnati Bengals's improbable playoff run. The "Mr. Rager" rapper had an assist from Joe Burrow in planning the show. "Performed at the Bengals after party w Joe and the boyz," Cudi tweeted after Super Bowl LVI. "He made the set list. All his favorite Cudi jams," the rapper added while congratulating the team on the "epic season." Videos of the performance circulated online, and Burrow was seen standing to the side of the stage while he rapped along with Cudi's songs.
Burrow and Cudi developed a bit of a bond leading up to the big game. Once the Bengals won the AFC Championship game to qualify for the Super Bowl, Burrow shouted out Cudi. "I listen to strictly Kid Cudi pregame," Burrow told reporters on January 30, per Complex. "All that good stuff from old Cudi." The quarterback admitted that coping with his new found fame was as daunting as playing in high-pressure games. "One of my idols growing up, Kid Cudi, reached out to me yesterday, you've got LeBron tweeting at me. That part is surreal," he said after winning the AFC Championship.
Burrow even sent his game-worn jersey from the AFC Championship to Cudi. "I hit Joe and congratulated him and asked if I could have his jersey," the rapper tweeted February 4. "He said yes and sent it right away," Cudi added alongside a snap of the grass-stained autographed jersey.