Lil Wayne is due to perform at Strawberries and Creem Festival this summer, which will be his first UK show in over a decade.
The thirty-nine year old rapper, singer, songwriter and record executive has sold an impressive twenty million albums worldwide and has also won five Grammy awards from 2009 to 2017.
Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana, he is thought of by many as a hugely influential hip hop artist who inspired generations after him and was even named one of the greatest rappers of all time by Kanye West.
His absence from performing in the UK is the result of the American rapper being forced to call off a UK tour in 2011 as his visa application was allegedly rejected by UK border authorities due to the artist’s prior convictions.
In December 2020, Lil Wayne admitted possession of a .45 calibre gun and six rounds of ammunition following a search of his private plane on arriving in Miami from California the year before. At the time, the rapper was already a convicted felon due to another weapons charge but he managed to avoid jail by posting a $250,000 bail. Lil Wayne was later pardoned by Donald Trump, who was president at the time.
The Cambridge festival has been announced to be Lil Wayne’s only European show this year. Strawberries and Creem festival was founded in 2014 and will run for three days from the 17-19th of June at Childerly Orchard.
The festival pledged last year to feature more female acts, with this year’s confirmed line-up including British-Swedish R&B artist Mabel, R&B singer and songwriter Ella Mai and Nigerian singer Tems. There have also been commitments made to achieve gender equality within crowds as well as on stage, as the festival organisers have increased measures to prevent sexual harassment at the event and prioritise the safety of women.
The June weekend will feature a wide range of music genres, such as drum and bass, dance music, reggae, R&B and DJ sets.
Secure your place at the festival at www.strawberriesandcreem.com/tickets.
