Lil Wayne Speaks On VMAs Performance For Hip-Hop's 50th, Says He Was "Nervous"

BYGabriel Bras Nevares1.7K Views
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2023 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards - Show
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 6: Lil Wayne speaks onstage during the 2023 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards Show at LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau Miami on September 6, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage/Getty Images)
The New Orleans legend spoke to Skip Bayless about how honored he felt to grace the stage alongside fellow icons of the game.

Lil Wayne recently rocked the stage at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards; in fact, he graced fans with two separate performances. One was a medley of one of his biggest contemporary hits, "Uproar," and his new single "Kat Food." However, the other saw the New Orleans MC join LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Nicki Minaj, and more legends of the game to celebrate hip-hop's 50th anniversary. Not only was it a special moment for him, but one that also proves that, no matter how deep you are into your career, you can still get stage jitters. During his appearance on Undisputed with good friend Skip Bayless, Weezy recalled the experience.

"We did catch you the other night on the VMAs. You lit it up. How did it feel to you? You were among legends, but you are the legend of legends. What did it feel like on stage?" Skip Bayless asked. "Nervous as usual," Lil Wayne answered. "Same way I feel as always, nervous. Had to open it up, so I just wanted to make sure I ain't mess up. Hit every beat, make sure I was on point. Yeah, that's what I was worried about.

Lil Wayne's Nerves Didn't Hamper His VMAs Performance

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that," Lil Wayne said with a laugh when Bayless asked about Taylor Swift loving his performance of "Walk This Way" from the front row. "Just to be up there with those legends, I was like 'What?' Literally, Skip, as I'm up there and I could hear myself singing 'Walk This Way' that was unbelievable. To hear myself singing, and knowing who I'm up there with. No one else was singing the 'Walk This Way' part. No one else was singing it. When I heard it was just me, I was like 'Yeah.' I owned it, yeah."

Meanwhile, Tunechi also made sure to keep feeding fans alongside his big shows, even if it was through a feature. He recently treated Nas and Hit-Boy's sixth collaborative album in three years, Magic 3, to a feature verse on the track "Never Die." All in all, there seem to be more reasons than ever to celebrate the Young Money mogul these days- and that's never a bad thing. Stay logged into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Lil Wayne.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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