Not long before Chance the Rapper commenced his NBA All-Star Game halftime show on Sunday night (Feb. 16), a photo circulated the web that showed the microphones reserved backstage for the big performance. The mics were stored in their own individual boxes with labels indicating the artists that would supposedly be singing into them soon: Chance, Quavo, DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, Justin Bieber and Kanye West.
Quavo and DJ Khaled ended up coming out for "I'm The One". Lil Wayne joined Chance for the Coloring Book cut, "No Problem", which still brings immense joy to this day. Even though 2 Chainz was in the building, unfortunately, he didn't hop onstage to contribute his verse. However, this wasn't the omission that had Twitter complaining. After all, 2 Chainz was never rumored to perform. Kanye, on the other hand, was.
The fact that Kanye was sitting front row between Kim Kardashian and J. Cole made fans all the more furious that he didn't emerge for "Ultralight Beam". Ye and Chance being two of Chicago's brightest stars would have also made a joint performance a nice gift for their hometown, where the game was hosted. Regardless, Chance gave viewers shivers by rapping his own standout verse from the TLOP track. Bieber was presumably slated to come out for "I'm The One", but there were no signs of him even being in the building. I suppose both Ye and Biebs only committed to being game-time decisions.
Check out the disappointed Twitter reactions regarding Kanye's halftime show absence below.
Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled & Quavo To Perform At NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show
Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, and Quavo will join Chance The Rapper to perform at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game halftime show.
Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, and Quavo are set to perform at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game halftime show alongside scheduled headliner, Chance The Rapper. The game is set to take place at Chicago's United Center on Sunday, and the halftime show is turning out to be quite the star-studded affair.
As Wayne, Khaled, and Quavo are billed as "joining" Chance, the odds are in our favour that the four of them will be performing at least one of the collaborations they share amongst each other. Wayne, Quavo, and Chance are all featured on Khaled's 2017 hit, "I'm The One," along with Justin Bieber, and Chance and Quavo also hopped on Khaled's "No Brainer" with Bieber in 2018, though Wayne did not partake.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Common is also expected to appear at the game on Sunday, to deliver give a speech about what basketball means to the city of Chicago and as well as to introduce the players. Common, Chance and Quavo are all set to play in the celebrity game on Friday, with Common and Chance serving as team captains. Other acts include Bad Bunny, Jidenna, and Chance's younger brother and fellow rapper, Taylor Bennett.