The highly anticipated Hot Boys reunion at the 2024 Essence Festival in New Orleans didn’t quite deliver on its promise. Instead of the full lineup, only three of the four original members made appearances, with Lil Wayne noticeably distancing himself from his former bandmates.

Juvenile and B.G. took the stage together, performing Cash Money classics like “I Need a Hot Girl” and “Bling Bling” alongside Birdman and Mannie Fresh. However, Turk was absent, having previously hinted at “business” issues preventing his participation.

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😢

— Andrew Barber (@fakeshoredrive)

Lil Wayne’s appearance was particularly noteworthy for its separation from the others. He performed a 20-minute set after Juvenile and B.G. had finished, making no interaction with his former labelmates. Wayne’s allegiance was clear when he announced, “My name is Tunechi. I’m here on behalf of Young Money fucking Records.”

This semi-reunion comes on the heels of Wayne’s recent comments on Cam Heyward’s “Not Just Football” podcast, where he denied involvement in or knowledge of a rumored Hot Boys comeback album.

The event, while showcasing some of Cash Money’s biggest stars, ultimately fell short of the full Hot Boys reunion that fans had been eagerly anticipating.