Lil Wayne spread holiday cheer this weekend at his “A Weezy Christmas,” a festive gathering that catered to youth in his hometown. The New Orleans native hosted 150 children at a Dave & Buster’s in “The Big Easy.”
On Sunday (Dec. 18) TMZ reported that Wayne partnered with Wilson Sporting Goods and Young Money Entertainment executive Mack Maine to pull off the event. Kids who attended were between the ages of 12 and 16. Aside from having a good time playing games and snapping photos with Santa, they also walked away with brand-new sporting equipment.
According to the outlet, the students were celebrated for exemplifying academic excellence and for their involvement in sports such as football, basketball, baseball, soccer and tennis. The teens were also able to meet Young Money artists Jay Jones and Allan Cubas, who helped hand out the gifts.
Wayne has a long history of giving back to his hometown. His annual Lil Weezyana Fest, which raises funds for various initiatives around the city, returned in 2022 after a three-year hiatus. Artists who hit the stage at Champions Square included Rick Ross, Cam’ron, Quavo and Takeoff. The rapper and Maine have also partnered with other organizations to help renovate Harrell Park and lend a helping hand to mentorship programs such as NOLA’s Son of a Saint program.
Christmas came early this year for the rapper as well. On Wednesday (Dec. 14), he joined the music industry’s elite Diamond club when his single “Lollipop” was certified 10-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He shared the career milestone on Instagram with a photo of his plaque. “My first joint to go diamond wow! Thank you to all my fans and supporters. I ain’t s**t without y’all!” he wrote. The 2008 record surpassed 10 million in U.S. sales.
Check out some of the event’s photos below.