After a monthslong delay, Lil Wayne finally pulled off his sixth annual Lil Weezyana Fest this weekend.
Cam’ron, Rick Ross, and Quavo and Takeoff were among the star-studded lineup of artists who blazed the stage on Saturday (Oct. 29) at New Orleans’ Champions Square. The event was originally scheduled to take place on Aug. 27 but was canceled at the last minute.
Wayne founded the festival in 2015 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which battered the city, leaving behind years of rebuilding efforts and billions of dollars in damage. But since the inaugural festival, the NOLA-bred rapper has used the event to raise funds for various initiatives in his hometown. The festival was last held in 2019 on the grounds of the UNO Lakefront Arena; this year marked the return to Champions Square, where it all began.
Wayne had a two-hour set in which he played hits like “Money on My Mind,” “Cash Money Millionaires,” “Mrs. Officer,” and several others. In what was likely the biggest moment of the night, Wayne surprised fans when he brought Drake out to share the stage with him. The Canadian artist has previously shown up for past Weezyana fests. The Honestly, Nevermind emcee performed an 18-minute set that included such cuts as “The Motto,” “In My Feelings,” “God’s Plan,” and “Jimmy Cooks,” among others.
While onstage, Drake recalled the early days of his career when he would fill in for Bobby V whenever Wayne performed “Mrs. Officer.” He jokingly stated he was disappointed when he was not invited to sing the chorus at the event. “I was a little thrown off tonight,” he said. “‘Cause you know, back in the day, before I was Drake, I was Aubrey off Degrassi, right? And I used to be standin’ side stage, and when ‘Mrs. Officer’ came on, Lil Wayne used to call me on stage to sing Bobby’s part, and he used to call me ‘Jimmy Valentino.'”
Catch some of this year’s Lil Weezyana Fest below.