Lil Wayne Nixes Hot Boys Reunion at Essence Fest, Performs Solo Set

The talk of a Hot Boys reunion at Essence Fest this past weekend was all the hype in New Orleans. Juvenile told fans that a long-awaited Hot Boys album was in the works, and Birdman recently told Billboard he hoped to get everybody on stage together.

“It’s been 15-20 years since we’ve been onstage together,” he said. “We’ve got a great production and some special guests. It’s going to be amazing! We are working on a few things that we can’t talk about yet. But I can promise you that it’s going to be a night to remember.”

However, things didn’t go as planned. Lil Wayne chose not to hit the stage with Birdman, Mannie Fresh, Juvenile and B.G., instead performing a 20-minute set after they finished. He also changed the Cash Money logos onscreen to Young Money logos and said he was “here on behalf of Young Money f–king Records,” according to nola.com.

This is as close as we got to a full Cash Money/Hot Boys reunion at Essence Fest. Mannie was on stage, but not in this shot

Everyone thought Wayne was a no show, but he came & did a solo set after everyone left. He never appeared on stage w/ BG & Juvy. Turk wasn’t there at all😢 pic.twitter.com/ov4ZaN0jfH

— Andrew Barber (@fakeshoredrive) July 6, 2024

Weezy also said he had no idea about a new Hot Boys album. While making a guest appearance on NFL player Cam Heywood’s podcast Not Just Football in late June, he responded when asked about a Hot Boys comeback, “Sh—t, you just told me.”

Heywood then replied, “Juvie said, ‘We got the album already cookin’.'” Still a bit confused, Wayne then answered, “I ain’t been to the kitchen yet. I would not lie to you, I have not been in that kitchen yet. I have no problem with going to that kitchen, but I ain’t smell it, it ain’t come through the window yet. I ain’t smell the food … They ain’t told me nothing yet.”

Turk was noticeably absent from the Hot Boys reunion on stage as well. Last month on social media, he addressed a possible reunion at the popular festival, saying he was still trying to iron out the business side of things and that he was doing everything in his power to be there.

B.G. went on Instagram Live and gave his take as to why Turk wasn’t there. “It’s only one n—a that ain’t in this b—h, you heard me?” B.G. said. “He brought that on hisself. N—a did a bunch of h— sh—t, he can’t take it back. He got to fault hisself for not being here.”

The Hot Boys released three albums all together, with their last project being 2003’s Let ‘Em Burn.