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

BYGabriel Bras NevaresPublished on September 18, 20233.3K Views

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

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.