Doechii, Janelle Monae, T-Pain & More. Inside Super Bowl LIX’s Weekend Parties

Doechii believes in the power of manifestation. And if you’re an Eagles fan, after last night’s Super Bowl, you probably do too. The Philadelphia Eagles beat two-time defending NFL champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in a stunning, definitive defeat, becoming the 2025 Super Bowl champs. Led by quarterback and MVP (the “V” stands for very fine) Jalen Hurts, the Eagles strolled to a 40-22 victory after a weekend full of hype and anticipation. After the win, an emotional Hurts described his “unprecedented” journey. From an uneven college career to constantly being doubted in the league, Hurts has had to silence haters with his wins and believe in himself when others didn’t. All season, Hurts has fielded post-game press conferences with his signature nonchalance and unwavering confidence. That spirit was on full display with the talent at the pre-game parties who were essentially Hurts’ opening acts. The Super Bowl may just be one Sunday night, but the festivities last all weekend long — and this year, New Orleans brought out the very best, from manifestation queen, Doechii, to Janelle Monae, T-Pain, Shaquille O’Neil, and more, the marathon buildup to the big game was as electric as ever.

It’s fitting that the Super Bowl happens during awards season because it does feel like the artists, creators, and celebrities who show up to the big game are ones you have all had pretty big years. The roster of talent who show up and show out are meant to do one thing: hype you up for the biggest battle of the best in the NFL. If you love football like I do, and your two favorite teams are the Chiefs and the Eagles (it was a tough decision, but I was bleeding green all weekend. Go Birds!), last night was the matchup you’d been waiting for. Sure, a blowout wasn’t at all what we were expecting, and a closer game would have been fun to watch, but the thing about the Super Bowl is that it isn’t just about the football (I know some of y’all just tuned in for the Kendrick Lamar concert; I still haven’t caught my breath from that halftime performance). So when Verizon invited me for the second year in a row to tag along to their four-day activation (they set up their iconic House of Verizon, the premier Super Bowl destination in New Orleans for sports, fashion, music, and culture in the midst of the madness), I knew I had to be there. Not only did Verizon provide service stronger than Hurts’ arm inside Caesars Superdome stadium so we could all post our reactions live, they were a strong presence throughout the weekend with informative panels, live demos, and yes, parties on parties on parties. 

If you’ve ever wondered what the events leading up to the Super Bowl are really like, I’ve got you covered below. 

On Friday, to kick off the weekend, Verizon held a welcome event during the day to spotlight small businesses. The company’s CEO Hans Vestberg, was joined by New Orleans Saints legends Deuce McAllister and Demario Davis, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, and small business owner Kristin Juszczyk and more for conversations about supporting and propelling small businesses forward. It was really cool to see this group of entrepreneurs come together to celebrate small businesses who power so much of what makes New Orleans, and hard working people around the country as a whole, so great. At times, the Super Bowl can feel like a very corporate space, with lots of big businesses throwing their weight (and dollars) around so it was really nice to see Verizon take it back to the basics. 

Not only did the event feature panel discussions and a celebration of small business success, it also introduced guests to some of those businesses, including Crazy Waffle Bar, a proud Verizon digital ready member, grantee, and NOLA business customer. The menu included bananas foster, chicken and waffles and it was all delicious. The event concluded with a lively meet-and-greet reception.

That night, we were back at House of Verizon for an exclusive showcase of street wear brand RHUDE’s  “Rhudeboy” featuring a new Autumn/Winter 2025 collection. The event, curated by designer Rhuigi Villaseñor, brought together top names in fashion, entertainment, and sports. On the red carpet, Rhuigi told me about the inspiration for his collection and his brand. “It’s modern Americana,” he said with a smile. “Modern-day gentleman.” Notable modern-day gentlemen attendees included Joe Burrow, Reggie Bush and reality stars Joey Graziadei, Blake Horstmann, and Jason Tartick. Also in attendance at the “House of Verizon Late Night” after party were Sexyy Red, Kelsey Anderson, and Giannina Milady Gibelli. 

Inside, all of the above gathered to watch models walk the runway in Rhuigi’s designs. The collection was exactly as Rhuigi promised, a moody menswear showcase of modern Americana aesthetics that I could picture any athlete incorporating into their game day fits.  

One thing about me? I don’t cook. Like, ever. So when I showed up to Thanksgiving this year with homemade mac n’ cheese, it’s safe to say my family was SHOOK. Well, they had Tini Younger to thank. The viral chef is best known for her gooey, perfectly crispy, mouthwatering yet sometimes controversial mac n’ cheese recipe, which I can confirm is just as good as it looks, even when a beginner like me makes it. On Saturday morning, the content creator hosted a special live demo featuring custom NOLA-inspired brunch bites. And afterward, I got to talk to Tini about her infamous mac n’ cheese recipe. “It’s a simple recipe. I try to make my recipes for everyday people, not chefs,” Younger said, rocking a Ravens jersey in the House of Verizon glam lounge after her demo. “I’m a chef that teaches home cooks. For the controversy, I don’t know why [it happened]. I posted that recipe three years in a row. I don’t know why this year it decided to go crazy, but I guess it’s big if people are talking.” Younger shrugged off the backlash. “I make what I like to eat. I make what my husband likes to eat. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to make it. It’s as simple as that.” Period! 

During the live demo, Younger made banana bread french toast with bananas foster and her other recipes (BBQ wings inspired by the Chiefs and Philly cheesesteak egg rolls inspired by the Eagles) were passed around to guests. I loved Younger’s energy and kindness throughout the event, taking questions from fans live about her favourite New Orleans food (she’d only tried beignets in the city so far) and who she was cheering for (she said neither, but leaning towards the Eagles). “My favorite thing about Super Bowl weekend is just seeing all the fans. Even though my team and [my husband] Antoine’s team didn’t get to the Super Bowl, I just love seeing everyone come out for the love of football.” Another thing Tini loves is getting to meet her fans who started cooking because of her. “All I want to do is get people cooking and making really good food. I’ve had a lot of people say they became a chef or joined culinary school because of me and because of the love of cooking that I helped them find. It’s very inspiring.” At just 23, Younger is already inspiring us all. 

On Saturday night, I took my first trip to Shaq’s funhouse. Verizon hooked us up with tickets to Shaq’s part festival, part carnival, part circus—Shaq’s legendary party is exactly as advertised: FUN. I’m not sure if Shaq knew that Samuel L. Jackson was going to be cosplaying as Uncle Sam during the halftime show but as soon as you stepped into the event at Mardi Gras World, you were met with giant signs with Shaq’s face fashioned in the classic caricature of Uncle Sam. As we made our way through the carnival space, we were met with a bright merry-go-round and a colorful ferris wheel that acted as our backdrop for photos (important). While we were taking in the sights outside, DJ Diesel (Shaq himself), John Summit, and more were bringing the energy inside. 

The highlight of the night had to be Atlanta’s own Ludacris. Live from inside Mardi Gras World, Luda performed a full set, including his hits “Stand Up,” “Act A Fool” and “Area Codes.” For the millennials in the room, he started his 2000 hit “Southern Hospitality” with a disclaimer that it was for the OG fans. Aside from making me feel old, Ludacris delivered an energetic and expert performance that was one to remember. As we all scream-sang the lyrics at the top of our lungs with Luda, it was a reminder of the unifying power of music, a sentiment that Shaq reiterated in a pre-party interview with Times-Picayune. "And with all of this sh*t we've got going on in America, there's two things that will make people shut the f*ck up. That Super Bowl game, everybody that has a problem with somebody is going to be sitting the f*ck down and watching. Every time your favorite song comes on, you shut the hell up. I know for a fact that music and sports can bring people together." And he’s not wrong. It’s the next day and we’re still coming together to fight over Kendrick’s halftime show and show love to the Eagles/ sympathy for the Chiefs fans. 

Other notable guests included: Sexyy Red,  Paul Pierce, Alix Earle, Braxton Berrios, Louis Tomlinson, Desean Jackson and more. 

Excuse me, that’s Grammy-award winner Doechii to you!!! Fresh off the biggest show in music, Doechii was in New Orleans for the biggest weekend in entertainment. She arrived to House of Verizon on Saturday night where Verizon partnered with Tao to host The Big Speakeasy, an electrifying night of performances and celeb appearances. On the red carpet before the event, I got to remind Doechii of how she manifested this very moment: “In 2012, you posted ‘I will be famous,’ I reminded her. “I DID?,” she replied incredulously. And when I followed up with asking what she would say to that girl who dreamed up all of this, she gave my favorite quote of the weekend: “I would say, you go girl. You always knew, she always knew she was that girl and I finally caught up with myself. Hello!” The wisdom continued: “Don’t let anybody tell you no. Don’t even let yourself tell you know. Go after everything it is that you want. You have one life. Live it up.” 

And live it up during Super Bowl weekend, we did! Later that evening, Doechii performed “Persuasive,” “Denial is a River” “Catfish” and “Nissan Altima,” to a packed crowd. Shaboozey, Shaquille O’Neal, Gabrielle Union, Ice Spice, Quavo, Jon Hamm, Tinashe, and Anthony Mackie were just a few of the celebs in attendance. Then T-Pain, who performed a set of over ten of his top hits including “Buy U A Drank” “Can’t Believe It,” “Bartender,” lit up the stage. Plus, legendary producer Jermaine Dupri performed with a special appearance by Juvenile. 

One of the most memorable party performances from last year’s Super Bowl was Janelle Monae and this year, the always-provocative artist did it again. Monae surprised the crowd by performing "We are young," "Q.U.E.E.N.," and "Electric Lady" in a show-stopping set dressed in aviator sunglasses, a tie, long black blazer coat and short blonde hair. 

Before launching into the final song of the night, her liberating anthem “Float, Janelle gave a speech we all needed to hear: “This song is about letting go of all the shit that’s weighing you down. If you’re ready to release all the shit tonight that’s weighing you down, I want you to make some noise! If you’re ready to remain toxic, I want you to shut the f*ck up and let the people, who want to not remain toxic, float.” 

Doechii and Janelle Monae are both unapologetic, authentic, and very good at hyping up a crowd and delivering unforgettable performances. They were the perfect way to end the night and take us into Super Bowl Sunday. 

The official Super Bowl tailgate concert is not like your typical post-up-beside-a-van-and-grill-hot-dogs tailgate. It’s way bougier than that — in the best way.  Post Malone is headlining and you can watch it live on YouTube. Whether you’re there in person or streaming from home, it’s the perfect warm-up for the main event.  The space was decked out with tents, bars, beignet stations , and a special performance by Post Malone. As we were grabbing drinks, dancing to Post Malone, and trying all the various food stands we could before the game in our best Eagles gear, I couldn’t help but look around and feel grateful for the opportunity to be there. Influencers like fashion model, photographer, and stylist Wisdom Kaye were also spotted taking in the pre-game festivities. 

When we rolled up to our seats (which were right at the 50-yard line; have I mentioned that I love Verizon!?), we noticed veteran actor Wendell Pierce sitting a couple rows in front of us, unfortunately rocking a Chiefs jersey. Despite his team being completely shut out in the first half, Pierce didn’t let the score dampen his spirits. During Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show, Pierce was standing and dancing to “Not Like Us,” enjoying the mini Kendrick concert as much as the rest of us.

Clearly, Kendrick had some things to get off his chest. Sure, most of the headlines and think pieces will be unpacking the hatred he directed at Drake through his performance of his diss tack “Not Like Us” (I don’t think I have words for how incredible it was to listen to live inside the stadium with thousands of people rapping along to every lyric), but Kendrick delivered so much more with that performance than just a petty vendetta with a peer. As Alexandra Polk writes in a piece for Unbothered, “If there was ever a place to boost a political statement criticizing America's violent beginnings and uncertain future in the hands of President Trump, it's the modern American football field.” Whew. 

After Kendrick’s performance, the Chiefs had yet to score and the Eagles were soaring high on the possibility of a Super Bowl championship. While the Chiefs would make their loss a little less embarrassing by at least getting on the board in the second half, the Eagles were in full control the whole way. And as much as I wanted a close, nail-biter of a game for my own selfish entertainment, I loved that Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley got to cruise to victory. They both deserved to have no question and leave no room for doubters of their talent and their ability to secure the top spot in the league. After all the parties and all the hype, and the odds not in their favor, the Eagles turned all their manifestations into a reality. Fly, Eagles, fly, indeed.