Phillie Phanatic Joins Tierra Whack For NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert

The Philadelphia Phillies’ iconic mascot made a stop in Washington D.C. on his way to the London Series this weekend.

Philadelphia Phillies mascot the Phillie Phanatic looks on against the Arizona Diamondbacks in game seven of the NLCS at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Oct. 24, 2023. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk Concerts has hosted some of the biggest names in music, ranging from Taylor Swift to Usher.

But they may have hosted the biggest mascot in baseball during a recent show featuring a Philadelphia native.

Philadelphia-based rapper and singer Tierra Whack made her Tiny Desk debut, with NRP releasing the video of her appearance on Friday. The series, which debuted in 2008, hosts almost near-daily shows these days. It has hosted more than 800 shows all-time.

Whack wanted to add a little more Philly flavor to her appearance. So, before the Phillie Phanatic headed to London for the MLB International Series games betwen the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets, he stopped off in Washington D.C. to make a cameo with the singer-rapper.

The Phanatic showed up while Whack was performing “Moovies.”

“Y’all know I gotta keep it Philly,” she said to NPR. “I bleed green. I bleed red. Anything Philly is all me. I had to bring a piece of home with me.”

You may notice a familiar face participating in the newest @nprmusic Tiny Desk Concert.

Before heading to London, the Phillie Phanatic went down to D.C. to hang out with @TierraWhack! pic.twitter.com/p3gpoltEgj

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 7, 2024

After that, the Phanatic was on his way to London, where he ingratiated himself to the locals by working as a guard at Buckingham Palace (kind of).

The Phanatic has taken his post at the gates of Buckingham Palace! pic.twitter.com/WTGOQLMe8I

— Tucker Bagley (@TBagleySports) June 6, 2024

Whack is an artist familiar to Phillies fans. The Philadelphia native is best known for her 2017 single, "Mumbo Jumbo", with a music video that received a 2019 Grammy Awards nomination for Best Music Video.

Her only chart single to date is "T.D,” a collaboration with Lil Yachty, ASAP Rocky & Tyler, the Creator which reached No. 83 on the U.S. charts in 2020. But she has also collaborated with Flying Lotus, Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Chief Keef.

The Tiny Desk Concerts originated out of an idea hatched by NPR music editor after a bad experience listening to music at Austin’s South By Southwest festival. Prompted by that, along with a joke from a co-worker that folk singer Laura Gibson could just perform at a desk, NPR began the series with an online recording of Gibson performing at a desk.