LL Cool J pulls out of Wawa Welcome America

LL Cool J, the hip-hop legend who was scheduled to co-headline the Wawa Welcome America concert Friday on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, announced Thursday night that he would not perform while the municipal workers’ strike was ongoing.

“I’m not gonna cross a picket line and perform for money when people are hurting,” the rapper said in a video posted on his Instagram account and on X.

He said he was still on his way to Philadelphia and would take the stage if the city reaches an agreement with District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The strike entered its third day on Thursday with no immediate end in sight.

“I never, ever, ever want to disappoint my fans, especially in Philadelphia,” he said, but added there was “absolutely no way” he would go against strikers who are “fighting for a living wage.”

“I hope, I hope, I hope the mayor and the city can make a deal. I hope it works out,” he said.

In May, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced that LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan, a Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts alum and two-time Grammy Award winner, would headline the July Fourth concert.

In a statement posted on Instagram late Thursday night, Parker said she had spoken to LL Cool J about his decision not to perform Friday on the Parkway.

“I respect his decision, and understand his desire to see the city unified,” Parker said. “He is always welcome in Philadelphia.”

Greg Boulware, president of DC 33, praised the performer’s “decision to stand in solidarity with the labor movement” and expressed gratitude for his raising awareness for working people.

“By prioritizing the dignity and respect of laborers over potential fan disappointment, LL Cool J sends a strong message about the value of unity and collective action,” Boulware said in a statement that featured a picture of the entertainer along with DC 33’s logo.

Staff writers Beatrice Forman and Sean Walsh contributed to this article.