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Gregory Shamus / Staff via Getty Images
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Lil Wayne performs during the NFC Divisional Playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Jan. 12, 2020, in Green Bay, Wisconsin
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Key Takeaways:
- Lil Wayne walked back his painted nails diss after the Bears beat the Packers.
- Caleb Williams responded with humor and grace, using Wayne’s own music in a post-game flex.
- The moment sparked viral reactions and highlighted shifting norms around image and masculinity in sports.
Lil Wayne is eating crow. The Young Money head honcho has apologized after he previously disparaged Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and is now acknowledging the athlete’s on-field talents.
The playful but heated drama started when the Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers on Saturday (Jan. 10) for a comeback victory in their NFC Wild Card game. As a longtime fan of the losing squad, Tunechi took to social media shortly after to direct his ire at Williams and the player’s style choices.
“We just [lost] a playoff game to a n**ga [with] purple nails,” Weezy tweeted, along with more colorful language in reference to Williams’ well-documented penchant for colorful manicures. The up-and-coming NFL star took it in stride, responding with emojis and “#DABEARS” a day later (Jan. 11). He then took things further when he posted a clip of his post-game interview on Instagram — soundtracked by Wayne’s hit “Mr. Carter.”
While Wayne is still a “cheesehead,” he’s also apparently a believer in Williams’ skills, which led to an apology for his previous statement. “Ay Caleb, don’t mind me bruh. I’m just a cheesehead 4life, and [you] just a killa, and [you killed] us bad each time,” read part of the message that the “A Milli” rapper posted on X on Wednesday (Jan. 14). The New Orleans artist went on to praise Williams’ game, calling him a “beast” but also being sure to add, “ya still a Bear.”
This time, Williams took the high road, mostly.
“Weez it’s all love,” he tweeted in response. But, he made sure to add, “#BearDown [though].”
While the Green Bay Packers have already started their off season, the Bears will continue their NFL Playoff run against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday (Jan. 18).
