Lil Wayne Skips Hot Boys Reunion At ESSENCE Fest, Performs With Young Money
The Hot Boys reunion scheduled take place at the ESSENCE Festival seemingly went awry, as Lil Wayne chose to skip out on the long-awaited performance for his own Young Money themed set.
On Friday (July 5), the Hot Boys were expected to perform as a full unit for the first time in two decades, however, when it was time to hit the stage, Weezy and fellow groupmate Turk were notably absent.
While Birdman, Juvenile, B.G. and Mannie Fresh were present for the reunion, Wayne chose to perform after his former labelmates, replacing the Cash Money Records logos on the stage with his own Young Money symbol.
The 40-year-old also made it clear that his presence at the annual festival was on his own accord, a seeming implication that his performance had no ties to Cash Money. “My name is Tunechi,” the rapper told the crowd prior to beginning his set. “I’m here on behalf of Young Money f**king Records,” he added, launching into a performance dominated by his biggest solo hits and including appearances from various Young Money members.
Upon Wayne’s exit from the stage, Cash Money returned for a closing performance of the Big Tymers’ classic single “Stay Fly,” with Birdman seemingly addressing Wayne’s absense. Delivering a speech touching on the impact his late mother’s death had on his life, the CEO expressed the sacrifices made to ensure his artists’ success.
“Every day I did this sh*t it was painful for me, because I lost Ms. Gladys as a youngster and I never recovered from that,” he admitted while interacting with the crowd.
“I was just trying to bless some young n***as who was headed in the direction I was headed. I swear to God on everything I love, and I love nothing more than Ms. Gladys, I would never let my city down and be a p***y a** ni**a for nobody.” Birdman also took a veiled shot at Wayne by nominating Doja Cat to perform at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, a gig Wayne has openly campaigned for this year.
The apparent discord between Lil Wayne and Cash Money seems to have occurred in recent weeks, as Weezy and Birdman were photographed together at the YouTube Music Leaders and Legends event in Los Angeles in late June, less than 10 days prior to the planned reunion.
According to Turk, “business” issues prevented him from performing with his Hot Boys groupmates at the reunion, which saw acts such as The LOX, Bun B, Scarface, and 2 Chainz join them for their set.
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