Morgan Wallen Crashes MLK Freedom Fest Concert, Performs With Lil Durk

By Stephen Andrew

Morgan Wallen appeared at the MLK Freedom Fest concert in Tennessee on Sunday, after being brought on-stage to perform with rapper Lil Durk. The show featured Durk, Rod Wave, Latto, and Moneybagg Yo playing to a large crowd at the Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators hockey team. At one point, Complex reports, Lil Durk addressed the crowd by saying, "Can't nobody cancel s— without me saying it, you know what I'm saying?" He then brought Wallen out to sing "Broadway Girls," calling the singer "genuine at heart."

Wallen remained mostly out of the limelight for several months in 2021 after being caught on camera using a racial slur. In an apology statement to the NY Times, following the incident, Wallen said, "I'm embarrassed and sorry. I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better." He eventually reemerged turning up at Kid Rock's Nashville bar to perform two songs in May. 

He also issued a public statement posted to his Instagram, writing in part, "I wanted to let you guys know that I've taken a couple months away and feel like I've really worked on myself. I'm proud of the work I've put in, and in many ways thankful to have had the time to do it. I've needed this time off."

Wallen's fellow country singer and friend Chase Rice spoke exclusively with PopCulture.com, offering an update on how Wallen had been doing. "He's good! Speaking of putting in work, he's put in a lot of work himself," Rice said. "I've hung with him quite a few times now and he seems to be in a lot better place. I don't know what exactly he did, those are the details that he can tell if he wants to, but he seems to be in a good place."

Rice later clarified that Wallen knows "what he did wrong" but asserts that he's seen the singer make big changes. "Morgan absolutely knows what he did wrong [...] he knows that; he's not dumb," Rice stated. "He put in the work and got it fixed. So I'm happy for where he is, I'm happy for what's about to happen, I'm happy for the success he's had."

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