Lil Wayne and his hip-hop squad blaze the stage 

Before he declared himself “The Fire Man,” rap star Lil Wayne was a Hot Boy. Joining the New Orleans hip-hop collective at the tender age of 14, he was the youngest member of the crew. Nearly 30 years later, Wayne is a towering figure in contemporary rap. His skills and lyricism sell out arenas – including Enterprise Center last night (Friday, Feb. 28). 

For the St. Louis show, Wayne shared the spotlight with The Hot Boys, his original partners in rhyme, as he performed his past and recent hits. 

Hip-hop concerts bring out the STL trendsetters – and Friday night was no different. They were draped in everything from custom Hot Boys t-shirts, jeweled hoodies and denim to match and stylish miniskirts. True to hip-hop’s brand, there was no shortage of stylish footwear. Airmax, Jordans of every variety adorned their feet as they buzzed outside the arena about what songs they were most excited to hear.

Beloved homegrown hip-hop media personality DJ Cuddy of 100.3 The Beat got the party started. He has been moving through the airwaves for years – reaching as far south as Dallas and as far west as Vegas. Yomp, a radio host at 100.3 The Beat, were a tag team as they hyped the crowd and brought energy levels through the roof as the audience filed in. Cuddy played favorite hits from the 2010s with a few current tracks shuffled in. 

As his set neared the end smoke began to fill the air, in part from the fog machines the other from goodies brought in from home. Before it ended, his set transitioned to the 90s, starting with fellow New Orleans rapper Master P’s “Break ‘Em Off Something” to set the tone for The Hot Boys.  

Before the rap performances, DJ Mannie Fresh took over the turntables. It was only right that he would take the stage, since he is the driving force behind The Hot Boys. He played an old school set that mixed early 2000s and 90s music over current sounds.

He started with the instrumental of “Blow the Whistle” layered with the lyrics of “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye then “Be Happy” by Mary J. Blige. Those sitting rose to their feet to dance to this unexpected and original mix.

The Hot Boys came out one at a time performing their signature hits. First there was Juvenile with “Ha,” then Big Tymers with “Still Fly,” B.G.’s “Uptown Thang” followed by a group performance of “400 Degreez.”  Though it has been over a decade since the group have regularly performed together, they still display great chemistry. They organically vibed with one another on stage and recited each other’s adlibs. 

B.G. took a moment after his performance this weekend to thank the audience for continuing to support him after he served a 14-year sentence. He recalled how he spent ”12 winters and 13 summers” biding his time behind bars. He expressed thanks and humility to the fans who still allow him to perform following his 2023 release. He ended with “this is a message to my haters” as the music for “Don’t Talk to Me” began to play. The audience cheered and danced along as the chorus played, “When you see me in the street, don’t talk to me.” 

Wayne’s set was just as expected – fiery and explosive. He opened with “I’m Going In”, a song featured on Drake’s “So Far Gone” album, and “Fireman” getting the crowd on their feet. Wayne had the superfans screaming every one of his lyrics. They kept up with every track on the setlist that demonstrated the variety within his prolific catalog, including “Lollipop” and “Tunechi Rollin.” 

True to form, Wayne’s production value and audio-visual elements were top-notch. He created a white and red strobe light show that flickered over the audience as songs reached their chorus. For other tracks, he used fire to punctuate the lyrics – including “John” featuring Rick Ross and “Uproar” featuring Swizz Beatz. He also had YAYOTHEDRUMMER – ONEMANBAND playing live drums to back his vocals. The drums intensified the chorus of “She Will” and the intro for “Blunt Blowin.”

To close the show Wayne invited the rest of the Hot Boys back on stage for “Back That [expletive] Up”. The crowd erupted as the string instruments signified the song’s opening. It was clear they had been waiting to hear this song all night. The women danced while the men rapped along. 

Wayne took the stage one final time before he bid the audience ado with Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

Living It content is produced in partnership with Regional Arts Commission.