More Culture:

January 27, 2025

Gillie Da Kid is the latest Philly rapper to embrace role as Eagles hype man during run to the Super Bowl

The podcaster, who led the team out of the tunnel, promotes playoff anthem like Meek Mill and Lil Uzi Vert did in past seasons.

Celebrities Eagles
Gillie Da Kid Million Dollaz Worth of Game/YouTube

Philly rapper and podcaster Gillie Da Kid has become a face of the Eagles' Super Bowl push this postseason.

What would a championship-contending Eagles team be without a rapper to help shine a spotlight on their success?

When the Eagles took the field before thrashing the Washington Commanders in Sunday's NFC championship game, they were led out by hardcore rapper and podcaster Nasir "Gillie Da Kid" Fard. The 41-year-old hype man and North Philly native, a veteran in the city's underground rap scene, flapped his arms and wore the oversized Eagles hat that he's donned in videos posted on social media throughout the season.


MORE'TODAY' co-host Craig Melvin gets fake tattoo of Eagles fan Savannah Guthrie after losing bet over NFC title game


Gillie has been boosting fellow rapper Too Short's 2006 song "Blow the Whistle" as an anthem for the Eagles' playoff run, calling it "this year's official song" for the team. He even got the West Coast hip-hop pioneer to appear with him in a recent video outside the South Jersey home where he and his cousin, Wallace "Wallo" Peeples, produce their hit podcast "Million Dollaz Worth of Game."

All season after Eagles wins, Gillie has been posting videos of dance celebrations in his driveway. Sometimes he's been flanked by his friend JoJo, who appears in the videos dressed as an eagle, and at times Gillie's neighbors have even joined in on the fun.

In the Eagles' locker room after Sunday's game, Gillie embraced general manager Howie Roseman, took a photo with head coach Nick Sirianni and chief security officer Dom DiSandro, and blasted "Blow the Whistle" while dancing with A.J. Brown and other players.

The Eagles' latest celebrity frontman joins others who have brought swagger to the team's recent Super Bowl runs, a phenomenon similar to the Phillies' adoption of Calum Scott's "Dancing On My Own" as a clubhouse theme.

Meek Mill was an icon of the Eagles' 2017 season, when the team rallied around his underdog anthem "Dreams and Nightmares" on the way to winning Super Bowl LII. Lil Uzi Vert also filled that role for the NFC championship game two years ago, leading the Eagles onto the field with their chart-topping "Just Wanna Rock." Both are from Philadelphia and their songs are still soundtrack staples at the Linc on game days.

Gillie Da Kid is lesser-known than Meek Mill and Lil Uzi Vert, but he's been a steady presence in Philly's hip-hop scene since the late 1990's. Gillie and Wallo were once members of the Philly rap group Major Figgas, whose independent tapes landed them a deal with RuffNation Records. The short-lived group disbanded partly due to the influence of crime among its members. Wallo served a 20-year prison sentence for a series of armed robberies and was released in 2017, two years before starting the podcast with Gillie. 

Gillie's promising solo career, including a deal with the vaunted Cash Money Records, waned after he publicly feuded in 2006 with former label mate Lil Wayne. Gillie had claimed ghostwriting credit for some of Lil Wayne's music, sparking a beef that continued for years as Lil Wayne rose to superstardom. Gillie also accused Jay-Z of threatening to stifle his rap career when Major Figgas turned down a deal with Roc-A-Fella Records, which would become a powerhouse of East Coast hip-hop.

Gillie is best-known now for the role "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" plays in telling the story of hip-hop culture through the lives of its past and present stars. The podcast's audience and platform have grown since Gillie and Wallo joined the Barstool Sports network a few years ago. Guests on the show have included comedian and actor Kevin Hart, Sixers star Tyrese Maxey and musicians Cardi B, Ice Cube and Alicia Keys.

Two years ago, Gillie's 25-year-old son, Devin Spady, was killed in a triple shooting in the Olney neighborhood of North Philadelphia. Spady was an aspiring rapper who went by the name YNG Cheese. After the shooting, during an appearance on "The Pivot Podcast," Gillie opened up about the difficulties he faced following his son's death. He said he had grown beyond the life of crime and the culture of vengeance that surrounded his early rap career. No arrests have been made in the shooting that killed Spady.

"If I ain't have strong people around me, man, I would have resorted back to the old Gillie," the rapper said.

Toward the end of Sunday's game, video showed Gillie break out in tears at Lincoln Financial Field as it sunk in that the Eagles would be headed back to the Super Bowl.

As momentum builds for the Eagles' rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs, there's a good chance fans will be hearing a steady dose of "Blow the Whistle" in their social feeds. We'll see what celebration Gillie has planned for his driveway if the team comes home with a Lombardi Trophy.

Videos