Slick Rick, Ghostface Killah and De La Soul to Perform at the ESPYs
Several legendary hip-hop acts are taking the stage at the awards show on Wednesday, July 15.
Kevin Mercer performs with De La Soul during the 2026 Roots Picnic on May 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images.
It’s going to be a hip-hop-heavy affair at this year’s ESPY Awards. Slick Rick, Ghostface Killah and De La Soul are all set to perform on the show, which will air live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City on Wednesday, July 15, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on ABC. ESPN announced that Marcello Hernández, of Saturday Night Live, will host this year’s show, which will also feature a performance by the Savannah Bananas, the popular exhibition barnstorming baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia.
“I started doing comedy 10 years ago, in Cleveland, Ohio, and I would take the train 12 hours to New York to sell comedy tickets on the street in Greenwich Village in exchange for stage time,” Hernández said in a statement. “It is an honor and frankly feels crazy to be hosting the ESPYS this year in New York. I’m sure the energy is going to be great.”
“Marcello is one of the most electric, young comedians today,” said Craig Lazarus, ESPN vice president and The ESPYS executive producer. “His genuine enthusiasm for sports and his ties to New York City make him a natural fit to host this year’s ESPYS.”
Last year, Busta Rhymes, Clipse, Tobe Nwigwe and basketball player-turned-rapper LiAngelo Ball all performed at the 2025 ESPYS.
The ESPYs will also stream on the ESPN App in tandem with ABC airings across time zones and be available to stream the next day on Disney+, Hulu, the ESPN App, and ABC Video on Demand.
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