Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, Juvenile broke a record for being one of the highest viewed hip hop recording artists to be featured on NPR Music’s Tiny Desk, garnering more than one million YouTube views in 24 hours and nearly three million views within a week of its June 30 debut.
Juve’s ascension to renewed popularity all started in April when Twitter user @theylovemyke inquired about the Magnolia rapper appearing on the concert series. Unaware of the outlet, Juve energetically responded, “WTF is a Tiny Desk and no!” What followed was a surge of information from Black Twitter attempting to persuade the “Slow Motion” rapper to spin the block on his decision and reconsider.
Reconsider he did. Juvenile would go on to perform 28 minutes of back to back hits, with a set list consisting of “400 Degreez,” “Bling Bling,” “Ha,” “Slow Motion,” and of course, “Back That Azz Up,” among other singles that rocked the culture in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Not only did Juvenile exceed expectations as he sounded exactly like his studio albums and maintained a high energy throughout, but he also brought with him some iconic talent, including the very legendary producer Mannie Fresh, and New Orleans very own Trombone Shorty and Jon Batiste.
The icing on the cake was the impeccable live band playing the strings, horns, and drums. The Tiny Desk staff really came through on a what should be an award-winning production. The team included producer Bobby Carter, director and editor Joshua Bryant, creative director Bob Boilen, SVP of Programming Anya Grundmann, and VP of Visuals and Music Keith Jenkins.
Watch The Iconic Performance Below:
A statement from NPR reads, “NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we’ve never seen before, and of the Tiny Desk’s unique way of showcasing that talent.”
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