A legend recognizes another legend on Sat, May 1, performing on the Trillerfest Miami stage.
“When I was on tour with him…. And when your backstage, him running around, and you see how he talks, how he raps and has a zillion dogs with him… it is impossible not to be infatuated with him. Said Lil Wayne.
Some of the biggest names in Hip Hop and Rap, like Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Tyga, and Tekashi 6ix9ine, pull up to Marine Stadium that day. TrillerFest would be the first major concert in Miami since the pandemic.
Thousands packed the stadium in socially distanced pods for their favorite artist, some anxiously waiting in their cars. To finally, scratch the itch from being stuck inside.
The first Major American Rap and Hip Hop star to take the stage was Michael Ray Nguyen- Sevenson, also known as Tyga. Tyga graced the stage with hits like “Ayo,” “Swish,” and “Goddamn,” as area cameras fly around him and the crowd to capture the thousands rapping along.
The fest was just beginning as night fell in the stadium, as Tyga concluded his set and 2 Chains prepared for his. The concert was a dream come true for early 2000s babies as 2 Chains played hits like “No Lie” and “All Me.”
After, 6ix9ine opened up his set with the song “stoopid” and ended with a diss to Lil Durk, a popular Chicago rapper. Finally, the headliner makes his appearance, Lil Wayne, opening with the iconic smash hit “6 foot 7 foot.”
As Wayne’s set comes to a close, Wayne quiets the crowd and expresses his love for the late DMX, a Legend to a Role model.
“When I was a younger kid, we used to be on tour a lot,” he told the crowd. “We used to have so many artists we didn’t need to have no opening acts ‘cause we just needed another record label, and it was just them and us.
Being from New Orleans, it’s so far away from New York and Cali and sh*t like that. We didn’t know if it was real when we saw it on TV, the New York guys, the L.A. people. So, when we saw DMX, we all fell in love.” said Wayne
“When I got on tour with him, and now you’re in the hotel lobby, you’re backstage, you run into a n***a, and he actually says something to you, and when you see this n***a talk like how he raps, and you see this n***a is what he is, and you see this n***a has a zillion dogs with him… It’s impossible not to be obsessed, infatuated, and impressed,” he continued.
“His death hit my brother Swizz beats really hard,” concluded Wayne
Swizz Beats long-time friend of Wayne, was also the producer of DMX’s smash hit titled “ Ruff Ryder Anthem.” Swizz beats and DMX have a lot of history, as Swizz and DMX were described as always “running” together. They would hop 3 dollar cabs and almost get into shootouts.
Swizz would later acknowledge what they were doing wasn’t safe, but it was DMX. Swizz came to New York to escape the killings in his neighborhood. Coming to New York, learning how to make beats from scratch for the first time, his naivety showed as he tried to find his sound.
Swizz beat combining New York beats, and Atlanta marching samples created the iconic Ruff ryders anthem instrumental, but DMX hated it. DMX losing a game of cards to Dee, Swizz’s Uncle. DMX reluctantly went to the studio to recoup on his lost
“I wrote anthem in like 15 minutes, elementary,” said DMX
May 5th, 1998, “Ruff Ryder Anthem” was released by Def Jams. The song ended up being on Billboards top 100, ending up as the song DMX was best known for, making the rest history. Rest in Peace DMX
“That’s how he paid the bet, but it ended up being the bet in his favor,” said Swizz Beats
