Saturday night’s Lil WeezyAna Fest, without question, had the most anticipation since the festival started back in 2015. That number is apropos, for the last Hot Boys show was 15 years before that in 2000, and Lil Wayne joined the eventual supergroup at the young age of 15, back when his mother forbid him to use curse words in his lyrics.

Lil Wayne via Instagram

Back in June of this year, Juvenile emphasized in his interview for the OffBeat cover feature that the Hot Boyz reunion was a sure thing. Considering he’s currently on his biggest tour in over a decade, it didn’t seem likely Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Michael Carter, Jr., Terius “Juvenile” Gray, Christopher “B.G.” Dorsey, and Tab “Turk” Virgil, Jr. would be on stage together until 2025.

Enter Lil WeezyAna Fest. Despite show   billing, the Smoothie King Center crowd’s optimism was tempered by reality of a false start at Essence Fest due to acrimony and schedules. But yet, Amazon Prime was live streaming to the world, so expectations were there to be met. Wild Wayne and DJ Ro warmed up the crowd for an especially lengthy set until Rob 49 hit the stage. That lifted the still-light crowd, and “Wassam Baby” was on point for a Wayne-focused night, but it wasn’t until “Vulture Island” concluded the short set that Rob seemed to come to life.

Shortly after, the arena quickly filled up to capacity, with prevailing gear of Emline and Lil Wayne or Hot Boys t-shirts. When Wayne hit the stage playing electric guitar, the crowd immediately rose up as one, remaining that way the rest of the night. “Sky’s The Limit” and “Let the Beat Build” hit hard, and shortly after, Wayne stressed, “I am here on behalf of the city of New Orleans… my family… my grandmother, Mercedes Carter… my mother, Jacida Carter… you in front of me… Young Money Records.”

Well before he ditched his jacket to reveal a Jean Paul Gautier tie and a fresh urgency, Wayne made it clear he had something to prove and has a deep love and appreciation for his fans. Everyone ate it up, singing along to well-familiar songs. It bears mentioning that such a deep catalogue meant that other than his hit “Lollipop, most of the set was a medley, broken only by “Thank you” and the occasional comment.

The energy level spiked when Flau’jae (Johnson, LSU basketball player signed to Roc Nation) bounded out to make “Came Out A Beast,” her song with Wayne, an immediate urgency calling card and showed she’s ready for the moment. No question she had stage presence in full abundance, and everyone was talking to their neighbors about the immediate come-up.

Shortly after, the lights went down before revealing the familiar beat of “Still Fly” as Big Tymers Byron “Mannie Fresh” Thomas and Bryan “Birdman” Williams elevated the excitement and kept it up with “Get Your Roll On.” This began a masterful run of show, with first Turk, then B.G.—and naturally, Juvenile—hitting the stage in turn for solo ventures.

Everyone knew what was coming next, and excitement reached fever pitch as Lil Wayne, Juvenile, B.G., and Turk joined in together for “We On Fire.” They were having the time of their lives—with the audience no less so—over the 20-minute set, complete with Mannie and Birdman joining in. Wayne appeared to be as excited performing “Bling Bling” as any song over the evening. A particular highlight was Wayne dueting with Juvenile on the classic “Back That Azz Up.”

Wayne, back solo, announced, “This is the mixtape part of the evening,” before rocking crowd favorites including “I’m Me.” The next highlight of the night was the presentation to Wayne of a key to the city by Mayor Cantrell and the announcement by Master P that Wayne was receiving the first fleur-de-lis for the upcoming Walk of Fame on Canal Street along with an accompanying Lil Wayne Day in February 2025. He was clearly touched by the honor and tribute, especially since it was clear the Super Bowl halftime show committee snub (choosing Kendrick Lamar instead) was a sore spot.

New Orleans and the world got an incredible two hours and one of the best 20 minutes of hip hop in over 20 years. Music, particularly by rappers, may be considered a young person’s terrain, but it’s clear that must-see and must-hear, is no less the provenance of seasoned pros still at the top of their game.

The natural anticipation is for new Hot Boys music, with the wish that it’ll arrive in 2025. For multiple reasons, hip hop groups have become extinct, but hopefully the Hot Boys will serve as a blueprint for other reunions, and will also inspire new groups to defy the music industry’s desire to divide and conquer.

Acknowledgment: I wore my Polo Silk Hot Boys shirt to the concert, and it bears mentioning that Polo’s NOMA solo and recent CAC group exhibition, along with tirelessly and unselfishly championing the hip hop era that includes the Hot Boys, has helped prime the pump for the resurgence that led to the reunion.

Lil WeezyAna Fest