About 3,500 Lil’ Wayne fans were excited to be at Richmond’s Landmark Theatre for the controversial performer’s sold-out concert
Friday evening. But after the doors opened at 7 p.m. for Lil’ Wayne’s scheduled
performance at 8:35 p.m., things did not go exactly as planned.
Around 9 p.m., hosts Fat Kat and Honey B made an announcement that Lil’ Wayne had not yet arrived. As a slew of unknown rappers
and radio DJs tried to keep the crowd entertained, the audience grew impatient, chanting, “We want Wayne!” and welcoming every act with boos.
It was not until shortly before midnight
that another announcement was made: Weezy (Lil’ Wayne) had finally arrived. Although some fans had begun to leave, most were willing to wait.
After several hours, Lil’ Wayne hit the stage. He confessed he was in a very bad mood and dealing with many personal issues stemming from the several criminal charges he faced in Yuma, Ariz. late Tuesday and from his court appearance early Friday morning.
The disappointment continued as Wayne began a heated argument with his DJ, after which, he barely rapped in his first few songs. After about five songs, Wayne stopped and said, “I can’t do this to you guys,” before the leaving the stage.
The crowd waited in suspense. When Wayne came back, he started the entire show over with the energy and passion fans had expected. Opening with “Money On My Mind, ” Wayne continued to perform a long roster of songs spanning his whole career.
Lil’ Wayne was quick to apologize to the audience and said that he would never forget Richmond for sticking with him through the ordeal. He gave the audience a variety of fan favorites, mix-tape tracks, new singles, free-styles, a cappella raps, and even attempted to play chords on an acoustic guitar.Wayne closed the show with his new single, “Pop Bottles,” performing the chorus and his first verse not once, not twice, but three times as the crowd went wild. Although the show was rocky at first, Wayne put on a concert that both he and his fans will never forget.
This year, Lil’ Wayne fans can expect a lot of new material. The highly anticipated album, “Tha Carter III: The Leak,” is scheduled for release on Mar. 18. Wayne has stated that his collaborative album with Juelz Santana, “I Can’t Feel My Face,” also will be released this year. Several new mix-tapes also can be expected, including the third installment of his “Dedication” series with DJ Drama.