Delaware
Delaware icon DJ Jazzy Jeff cooks up FIFA World Cup 2026 music
Delaware officials tout tourism, watch parties for 2026 FIFA World Cop
Officials announced that the state will host four watch parties across Delaware for this summer’s World Cup. 2/12/26
Delaware resident DJ Jazzy Jeff, the same Grammy winner who played Will Smith’s bestie on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” sitcom, will bring the First State to Philadelphia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 this summer.
The West Philly native – best known for teaming up with Will Smith and forming the 1980s dynamic duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – is an official FIFA music ambassador for the World Cup.
DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jeffrey Allen Townes) lives in Bear, and he produced a Social ID (or branded music) that soccer fans will hear when FIFA games are broadcast from Philly at Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Philadelphia Eagles) from June 14 to July 4. (The entire FIFA World Cup tournament runs from June 11 to July 19.).
DJ Jazzy Jeff talks FIFA World Cup 2026 music: ‘It’s an honor’
FIFA teamed up with influential producers from well over a dozen host cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada to tie the soccer tournament to each city’s culture, giving World Cup fans and visitors a preview with a taste of audio flavor for each place they’ll experience before these games.
Philly is one of the World Cup host cities across the U.S., and Jazzy Jeff collaborated with Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the nonprofit organization that is the operational host committee tasked with planning and delivering the World Cup to Philly this summer.
Fans will be able to download the Social IDs on Apple, Spotify, and other platforms, according to FIFA.
“Music has the power to bring people together and transport them to a specific time and place. My hope is that this Sonic ID is representative of the experience of Philadelphia, inside a stadium packed to the brim with passionate fans,” the Firefly Music Festival alum said in a 2025 statement. “It’s an honor to be part of the FIFA World Cup 26™ journey and I can’t wait for the world to feel the energy of Philly in 2026!”
Music from the Social ID Jazzy Jeff and other artists delivered will be played in stadiums, during broadcasts, across digital platforms throughout the tournament, and at FIFA Fan Festivals, which are entertainment hubs for watch parties and performances.
“DJ Jazzy Jeff has shaped the sound of Philadelphia for the last 40 years and we’re proud to capture a piece of that legacy in our Host City Sonic ID,” Meg Kane, host city executive/CEO for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, said in a 2025 statement.
While DJ Jazzy Jeff’s social ID was announced in early 2025, his music is going to get renewed interest since Delaware officially announced its partnership with Philly Soccer 2026 on Feb. 12, which includes the state’s plans to attract tourism for the FIFA World Cup.
How many people will watch the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The FIFA World Cup is the largest sporting event on Earth. Over 3 billion are expected to tune into this summer’s World Cup final, which will be played July 19 at neighboring New Jersey at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium.
While the recent Super Bowl 60 peaked at 137.8 million viewers, the last World Cup in 2022 drew over 1.4 billion spectators.
How many people will visit Delaware for FIFA World Cup 2026?
More than 100,000 hotel rooms are expected to be booked in the tri-state region (Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey), along with over 500,000 visitors to the region. The economic impact this summer is estimated at nearly $800 million, Kane said.
Delaware will host a FIFA World Cup 2026 team
Gov. Matt Meyer announced at a Feb. 12 tourism event that Delaware is bringing the World Cup to the Small Wonder, but he didn’t reveal which team at the time.
One of the club teams will lodge in the state, while the team practices at the Philadelphia Union’s Subaru Park stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania.
“There’s never been a [Delaware] governor who can stand up and say that the World Cup is coming here,” Meyer said at the event held at the Hyatt Place Wilmington/Riverfront. “We’re very excited about that, bringing … a place of the world’s best here to Delaware.”
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.
Which famous people have visited Hotel du Pont in Delaware?
Athletes, world leaders, actors and other famous people have visited the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington over the years.
Southern rap icon 2 Chainz is coming for Delaware’s neck this summer in a special event highlighting his recently released New York Times Bestseller, “The Voice in My Head is God.”
This book talk is set for Wilmington Public Library on July 21. Folks interested in attending are required to purchase the book at registration. The cost of a ticket includes the book.
Here’s what to know about 2 Chainz, “The Voice in My Head is God” and how he was involved in one of the greatest hip-hop concerts that Delaware never got to see.
Who is rap star 2 Chainz?
Tauheed Epps, better known by the stage name 2 Chainz, is a 48-year-old Georgia native who used to rap under the controversial moniker Ti– Boi when he was a member of the duo Playaz Circle, alongside his friend Dolla Boy. In 2007, the duo signed to Ludacris’ Disturbing tha Peace (DTP), a label that operated under Def Jam, according to an article from Revolt.TV.
That same year, Playaz Circle dropped the major song “Duffle Bag Boy” featuring Lil Wayne. The Atlanta-area rapper eventually went solo and began his journey as a trap music icon who switched his name to 2 Chainz, under which he’s gained a ridiculous amount of music collaborations and success.
According to RIAA.com, 2 Chainz has racked up over a dozen singles and albums combined that have each gone platinum (including “I’m Different” and “Based on a T.R.U. Story”). That doesn’t even include the multiple guest records he’s appeared on that have gone platinum, too.
From Lil Wayne to Drake, 2 Chainz has worked with everyone
Some of the artists 2 Chainz has teamed with include Quavo and Gucci (“Good Drank”), Wiz Khalifa on the song “We Own It” (Fast and Furious) and J Cole (“Chris Tucker”), plus repeat collabs with artists like Kanye West (“Champions,” “The One”), Drake (“Sacrifices,” “No Lie”) and a joint album with Lil Wayne (“Welcome 2 Collegegrove”).
The rapper 2 Chainz has been nominated for six Grammys Awards and won his first in 2017 for Best Rap Performance on Chance The Rapper’s tune “No Problem.”
That time 2 Chainz brought in LeBron James
Thinking outside of the box, 2 Chainz brought on LeBron James (yep, the same NBA superstar who reportedly is considering signing with the Philadelphia 76ers) as an A&R for his 2019 album: “Rap or Go To the League,” Billboard reported.
2 Chainz releases new book, ‘The Voice in My Head is God’
The rapper’s new book released this past spring and highlights how 2 Chainz, raised by a single mom while his dad served prison time, chose to step away from the streets and discovered “his purpose: not by fame or fear, but by faith,” per the book’s synopsis on Amazon.
“In his most personal work yet, Grammy Award–winning rapper 2 Chainz shares the spiritual journey behind his success, offering a raw, reflective, and deeply motivational meditation on the inner voice that’s guided him his whole life: God.”
2 Chainz and the super Delaware concert that never was
One of Delaware’s greatest hip-hop concerts to never happen was supposed to include several rap legends a few years ago, and 2 Chainz was one of them.
This super concert was titled “Masters of the Mic: Hip Hop 50 Tour,” a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, and it was set to be held at Frawley’s Stadium in Wilmington in 2023.
The tour stop to Delaware was slated to feature a lineup that included a blend of contemporary rappers and pioneers such as Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Fat Joe, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, EPMD, Rakim and Slick Rick.
Just days before the event, however, The Grand in Wilmington announced on social media that the plug had been pulled on the concert “due to circumstances beyond our control.”
A big reason the event was sunk is likely due to the price of tickets, which were initially $170 per person. The Grand offered the same tickets for $100 on Facebook not long before the show was canceled.
This upcoming book talk with 2 Chainz should be redemption for Delaware fans who missed him because of the canceled tour stop in 2023.
How much are tickets to see 2 Chainz in Delaware?
Interested guests are required to purchase 2 Chainz’s new book, “The Voice in my Head is God,” to attend his Delaware book talk. The price of ticketed admission is $28.52 and includes the book. Be warned: Tickets may not be available if you wait too long. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.
Where in Delaware is 2 Chainz for his book talk?
Wilmington Public Library (10 E. 10th St., Wilmington) from 6 to 8 p.m. July 21. For more information, visit facebook.com/WilmingtonLibraryDE or Wilmington Public Library’s Eventbrite page or call (302) 571-7400.
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.
Is Jersey Mike’s the new fast‑food king? How it beat Chick‑fil‑A
Jersey Mike’s beats Chick-fil-A for top customer satisfaction in ACSI study; praised for fresh, made-to-order subs.
Plans for one of the nation’s most popular fast-food chains to open a location in the city of Delaware are moving forward.
Chick-fil-A is planning a new 5,033-square-foot restaurant with a double drive-through lane on a nearly 2-acre site on Delaware’s east side.
The development plans are headed to Delaware City Council after the city’s Planning Commission approved them July 1.
This location would be the first Chick-fil-A in the city of Delaware, but not in the county. The chain has a location in Lewis Center and three in the Polaris area, according to the company’s website.
The popular chicken restaurant, a Chipotle location and other to-be-announced restaurants and retail are part of a new Trailhead Crossing development planned on the eastern edge of Delaware near Sunbury Road (State Route 36) and Sky View Lane, documents indicate. City council approved rezoning the site in February.
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The restaurant will include 92 indoor seats, an outdoor patio with 20 seats and 68 parking spots, planning documents show.
An internal access drive connecting to Sky View Lane from the west and Biltmore Drive from the north will be built within the site and will connect to all the lots within the Trailhead Crossing development. The access from Sky View Lane will be right-in/right-out only. The site will not have access directly from Sunbury Road, city documents state.
Chris Tebbe, an engineer with the Dublin-based firm Tebbe Civil Engineering, didn’t know an exact opening date for the restaurant, but said once plans are approved by the City Council, crews will be working on the location this year into next year.
Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 10:19PM
ASTON, Pa. (WPVI) — Summer camps are in full swing, and on Wednesday the Action Cam was in Aston, where kids are getting some hands-on learning at Delaware County Technical School.
Middle school students are exploring career pathways as they build, cook, design and create in state-of-the-art classrooms.
They are doing everything from carpentry to cosmetology.
By the end of camp, the kids will create STEAM-based projects that they can take home.
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