The ESPY Awards' hip-hop crossovers have always been a notable part of the ceremony, and this year, Clipse, Busta Rhymes, GELO (LiAngelo Ball), and Tobe Nwigwe will carry that tradition. According to Billboard, all four artists will perform at the 2025 awards show hosted by comedian Shane Gillis. The event takes place on Wednesday (July 16) at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
More specifically, Nwigwe will reportedly perform during the In Memorian section of the show alongside David Michael Wyatt. The ceremony is reportedly expected to pay tribute to soccer player Diogo Jota, George Foreman, Bob Uecker, and more.
As for what else the 2025 ESPYs will hold, Clipse will Let God Sort Em Out. Their new album continues to receive a lot of praise, and we're looking forward to seeing whether or not they perform brand-new cuts off it. Of course, they could always throw it back to their classics.
Tobe Nwigwe will most likely stun, and Busta Rhymes loves his sports crossovers. As for the hooper-turned-rapper, GELO's current run makes him an easy candidate to perform at the ceremony. As a XXL Freshman this year, he's adding onto his trajectory with more collab opportunities and endeavors.
What Are The ESPY Awards?
For those unaware, the ESPY Awards celebrate the best achievements in sports. ESPN produces the whole thing, and it celebrates individual and team accomplishments in the sports world over the past year or so.
They have often enlisted rappers and hip-hop-adjacent artists to perform at their ceremonies, which always turns out to be a good time. We will see just how solidly this new batch of performances from Clipse, Busta Rhymes, GELO, and Tobe Nwigwe pans out. In fact, maybe they have some other onstage surprises in store.
As for the ESPYs nominees this year, they include OKC's SGA for Best Male Athlete, the Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson for Best Female Athlete, and Duke's Cooper Flagg for Best Breakthrough Athlete. We'll see how they all pan out in due time, as the awards ceremony is right around the corner. Hopefully the performances also reflect that level of excellence and discipline.
