Odell Beckham Jr. knows how to bring people together.
The NFL star celebrated the launch of FRI&NDS by Odell Beckham Jr. with a blowout pre-Super Bowl party in New Orleans late last night on Feb. 6, uniting prominent names across sports and entertainment while incorporating the distinct flair of the culturally-enriched city he calls home.
As a New Orleans native and LSU alumnus, debuting his latest brainchild in the Louisiana city is significant to Beckham Jr. and the mission of FRI&NDS (pronounced “And Friends”), a platform that aims to highlight and empower undiscovered creatives through different events.
“It’s a code I live by,” Beckham Jr. tells PEOPLE exclusively at the party, presented by Cash App. “It’s not about getting to the top of the mountain, it’s about how many people you bring with you — and for me, I just want everyone to shine. I want everyone to eat. I want everyone to be great,” he says.
Bringing the athlete’s vision to life, the debut of the new platform — rooted in culture, content and live events — brought together local New Orleans musical acts with artists like Chance The Rapper and Shaboozey, who jammed out on stage in front of a carefully selected circle of guests.
Actor Jon Hamm hit the dance floor, Saweetie vibed to The Soul Rebels’ rendition of Chance’s “No Problem,” while Beckham Jr. reunited with newly-named NFL Honors Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, just hours after presenting him the prestigious award on stage earlier in the night.
Other notable attendees included NFL legend Reggie Bush, Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love, San Fransisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel, hitmaker Leon Bridges, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and his wife Camille Fishel and more prominent names of VIPs, tastemakers, local creatives and artisans.
“Everything is about love,” Beckham Jr. says of those in the room. “Let’s appreciate everybody while they’re here, because we’re here today going tomorrow… Celebrate their success. Love, there’s enough love to go around the world as it is.”
Read on for an exclusive, inside look at the star-studded launch.
FRI&NDS by Odell Beckham Jr. Launch
Courtesy of Josh Sobel
The star-studded soirée, at Merchant House New Orleans, had everything from street performances to acrobats that twirled from hoops up above.
Beckham Jr. tells PEOPLE that launching this unique platform “came natural” to him. “I love to have a good time. Always been semi-the life of the party whether I wanted to or not,” he says.
“I feel like the world is getting repetitious,” the athlete says in part of what inspired FRI&NDS. “We do the same things over and over again — so to be able to put on good events for good people, it’s just amazing.”
Chance The Rapper
Josh Sobel
Luka Sabbat, BigXthaPlug and The Soul Rebels were among the many to take the stage.
At one point during The Soul Rebels’ set, they performed a rendition of Chance The Rapper’s “No Problem,” to which the artist himself vibed to on the dance floor before joining the eight-piece New Orleans-based brass ensemble on stage for a song.
Shaboozey and BigXthaPlug
Joe Scarnici/Getty
Grammy-nominated artist Shaboozey was in attendance, and eventually hopped on stage to drop some bars from his collab with BigXthaPlug “Drink Don’t Need No Mix.”
Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr.
Josh Sobel
Jayden Daniels circulated the crowd at the FRI&NDS launch, just hours after he received the Offensive Rookie of the Year award from Beckham Jr.
“A full circle moment,” the wide receiver tells PEOPLE exclusively of handing the honor to the Washington Commanders quarterback, having won the exact award himself at the NFL Honors in 2015.
Beckham Jr. noted even further significance around that full circle moment, noting that he presented the same award to his “brother” Saquon Barkley at the 2019 NFL Honors.
He points out how the Philadelphia Eagles star is “now playing in the Super Bowl in my city, New Orleans.” He reemphasizes of the coincidental trajectory, “I presented Offense of the Year to Jayden Daniels who went to LSU.”
“Everything is really… I don’t know any other word, but alignment,” Beckham Jr. says. “All year in my life I’ve been praying to God for this discernment for months, months, months — and every single thing that’s happened, has aligned to be exactly that.”
St. Augustine Marching Band
Josh Sobel
The evening kicked off with a 100 person ensemble from St. Augustine Marching Band from New Orleans’ St. Augustine High School that shut down Magazine Street.
“I just felt like it was the perfect opportunity,” Beckham Jr. tells PEOPLE of launching the platform in his home city of New Orleans. “For me right now, I’m all about my flow and letting things happen the way that they’re supposed to happen.”
“And the Super Bowl in New Orleans, coming back home, everything just seems to be super aligned,” he continues. “This is a special year, and it just seemed like the right opportunity, the right moment.”
Jon Hamm, Shaboozey and BigXthaPlug
Josh Sobel
Jon Hamm came out for the FRI&NDS launch, bringing his energy to the dance floor alongside Shaboozey and BigXthaPlug.
Coinciding with Super Bowl week, the program’s debut launched with a bang — but Beckham Jr.’s confident of what’s to come next. “I got a lot of good things coming. I won’t tell you everything, but we got some good plans,” he teases.
“My biggest focus of my life right now is being present, being able to be present, be where my feet are at, enjoy the moments, because I know that more are coming,” the athlete adds. “That’s the most important thing.”
Jordan Love
Josh Sobel
Reggie Bush and Frankie Delgado
Josh Sobel
Paul Pierce, Aaron Jones, Nicky Gathrite, Jalen Ramsey
Josh Sobel
Jon Hamm and BigXThaPlug
Josh Sobel
CeeDee Lamb and Deebo Samuels
Joe Scarnici/Getty
Luka Sabbat
Joe Scarnici/Getty
Odell Beckham Jr.
Joe Scarnici/Getty
Leon Bridges
Josh Sobel
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