You might have thought you didn’t have to watch Juvenile perform “Back That Azz Up” in an office, accompanied by a string duet – but honestly, you really do.
In fact, this rendition of the 1998 hit sparks so much joy that the audience at the public radio station’s Washington bureau demanded an encore when the New Orleans rapper performed it during NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts series on Friday. And luckily the “TC soldier” followed.
“Let’s go, let’s do it again, fuck it!” Juvenile said before beginning an encore of his ’90s classic that was so full of life it spilled into the crowd.
But that little slice of joy may never have happened — because Juvenile initially had no interest whatsoever in attending NPR’s popular concert series, which sees the likes of Justin Beiber, Harry Styles, Lizzo and Dua Lipa nestle between a giant bookshelf and a couple of desks in the room, NPR offices thronged for a live show.
“Wtf is a tiny desk 😂 and no 😂😂,” Juvenile tweeted in April in response to a fan’s request to play the concert series.
The hip-hop artist’s reaction delighted his fans on Twitter. They launched a spate of tweets targeting the former Cash Money Records graduate, urging him to change his mind.
However, the social media furore seemed to pique Juvenile’s interest, and the next day he tweeted that he would “reconsider” doing the series if his tweet got 10,000 retweets.
Of course, it didn’t take long for fans to reach that goal, and just hours later, Juvenile confirmed he’d secured an appearance at the Tiny Desk Concert, promising to deliver “a show like no other.”
Juve have put together a great team that will accompany him on Friday. New Orleans natives Trombone Shorty and Alvin Ford were hired for the performance, and Grammy-winning New Orleans native Jon Batiste flew in from London just to be on set, NPR reported. Cash Money Records’ DJ Mannie Fresh was also on hand, and Juvenile engaged DC’s The Amours on backing vocals and strings from the Louisiana Philharmonic for the grand finale of Back That Azz Up.
During his nearly half-hour performance, Juvenile also performed hits like “Slow Motion,” “Rodeo,” “Project Bitch,” and “Ha.”
Needless to say, fans on Twitter absolutely loved his much-anticipated set. To see some of their answers, just scroll down.