Lil Wayne alongside Kid Rock at the 2008 CMA Awards (Getty/Wire)

Hip-hop and rap fans woke up thrilled to find that superstar, Lil Wayne’s long anticipated album, Carter V had been released after years of lawsuits, legal issues and missed release dates. 

The 23-track record is everything lifelong fans of the rap king have been waiting for, but the 14th song on the album, “Hittas” adds a reference to be noted in the country music world. The single opens with David Letterman asking Wayne, “Is it true you performed with Willie Nelson at the Country Music Awards?” before going into the song.

The question brings us back to 2008 where rapper Lil Wayne joined then rock artist, Kid Rock on stage in a surprise appearance at the Country Music Association Awards. Hitting the Nashville stage decked In a Tennessee Titans football jersey, the rapper strummed a guitar while Kid Rock performed his hit single “All Summer Long”. 

Months later, in an interview with Genius, Lil Wayne shared that he didn’t actually know how to play the guitar, but lucky for him country legend Willie Nelson was nearby. The icon taught Wayne the most important chords just moments before the curtains went up. Check out Wayne’s hilarious story of his encounter with Nelson in the video below.

The CMA Awards – one of the biggest nights in country music – have not always been all about country artists. In the past there have been several not-so-country stars who having gotten there share of the stage during this prestigious night, including acts like Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Justin Timberlake, Meghan Trainor, Pink, Niall Horan, and more. 

With the 2018 CMA Awards just a little over a month away, we wonder what surprise artists will we see make an appearance this year? 

Don’t miss The 52nd Annual CMA Awards hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood on Wednesday, November 14 at 8|7c on ABC. We’ll be live-tweeting the show! Follow Us & join in on the conversation, @NYCountrySwag.

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