Watch Russell Dickerson Surprise Stadium Crowd With Fetty Wap

Russell Dickerson made history when he surprised the stadium audience with Fetty Wap during the final night of the Country Music Association’s CMA Fest on Sunday (June 7).

Dickerson took the main stage with a high-energy set at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, including several of his career-spanning hits. He shared a clip of the moment he announced to thousands of fans, “for the first time in CMA Fest history… Fetty Wap!” Together, the pair performed viral collaboration “Boots,” and the rapper’s 2014 smash breakout single, “Trap Queen.” Dickerson also led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday” to the iconic rapper, who turned 35 on Sunday.

“CMA Fest bingo card in shambles!!” Dickerson wrote in his caption on Instagram as he and Fetty Wap shared a clip of their performance.

Dickerson, Fetty Wap, Matt Dragstrem and Dylan Marlowe wrote “Boots,” a collaboration that “is built for the dance floor, fusing country swagger with R&B and hip-hop rhythm, anchored in vivid, sensory storytelling,” reads a press release issued last month.

“I’ve been a Fetty Wap fan since the beginning and his music has influenced mine probably more than I even know,” Dickerson said in a statement in the release. “So to have a song coming out with one of my biggest modern musical influences is one of the best feelings and what I think music is all about, creating something special with artists you love.”

Fetty Wap added in a statement of his own, “working with Russell on this record was easy. Nothing felt forced. It was just good energy and a real natural vibe. I always been the type of artist that can tap into different sounds, and Russell got that same type of range, so it came together organic. It’s one of them records you can just ride to, feel good to, and play all summer.”

Dickerson was one of many artists to perform — and deliver an epic surprise — on the main stage at CMA Fest, hailed the longest-running country festival in the world. Others included Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Shaboozey, Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore and Zach Top, and more. Riley Green and Lara Spencer will host the televised special, which will air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on Thursday, June 25. The show will be available to stream the following day on Hulu.