Tyrese Haliburton song, explained: How Rob49's 'WTHELLY' became new Pacers anthem
Context:
In a unique synergy of sports and music, Tyrese Haliburton, a rising NBA star with the Indiana Pacers, has seen Rob49's song 'WTHELLY' become an anthem during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The song, which cleverly plays on Haliburton's name, has been embraced by Haliburton, his teammates, and fans, becoming a defining element of the Pacers' playoff run. Rob49, a rapper from New Orleans, gained recognition for this track, which references several celebrities and ends with a playful shoutout to Haliburton. The song's growing popularity has led to Rob49's increased visibility, with rumors of major artists contributing to a remix. This cultural phenomenon highlights a blending of music and sports, underscoring Haliburton's increasing influence both on and off the court.
Dive Deeper:
Tyrese Haliburton, a key player for the Indiana Pacers, has adopted Rob49's 'WTHELLY' as his theme music, creating a new tradition for the team during their 2025 playoff run. This song, although not directly about Haliburton, includes a clever play on his name that resonated with fans and the team.
Rob49, known for his regional hit 'Vulture Island', emerged on the national scene with 'WTHELLY', a song that humorously incorporates famous names, including Tyrese Haliburton, into its outro. This catchy track quickly became a fan favorite in Indiana, marking a significant moment in Rob49's career.
The song's popularity was amplified when Haliburton personally shared a video of himself enjoying the song, which was then included in a highlight reel of a playoff victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. This integration into sports media further solidified its status as a cultural touchstone for the Pacers.
Rob49's presence at a Pacers playoff game, where he was seen courtside and exchanging jerseys with Haliburton, underscored the mutual appreciation between the artist and the athlete. This interaction highlighted the song's impact and Rob49's growing rapport with the team.
The Pacers celebrated their playoff success with 'WTHELLY' as a soundtrack, notably playing it after a critical game victory, which emphasized the song's role in building team spirit and fan engagement during the playoffs.
Rob49, born Robert Thomas, is a New Orleans native whose career began in 2020. His background from New Orleans' 4th and 9th wards influenced his stage name, and his recent collaboration with major artists suggests a promising trajectory in the music industry.
The song's playful use of phrases like 'What the Hellyburton' alongside other celebrity references has not only made it a hit but also positioned Rob49 for a larger breakthrough, with the potential for high-profile collaborations on the horizon.
In five short seasons, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has accomplished quite a bit in the NBA and internationally.
As Haliburton works to achieve superstar status in the league, he's now got his own theme music that has simultaneously become a musical tradition in Indiana. As it catches on, the song is defining the Pacers' run in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Rob49's "WTHELLY" was released in late March and, because of a connection with Haliburton, has been embraced by the guard, his teammates and the home fanbase. However unlikely it may have been, it's now taken a life of its own in the Hoosier State.
Here's more about how the song quickly caught on among Haliburton, the Pacers and Pacers fans alike.
Tyrese Haliburton song, explained
While the song is technically not about Haliburton, Rob49 dedicates a line in the song's outro to Haliburton.However brief, the line caught on.
To close the song, Rob49 makes a few plays with phrases that incorporate the song title, "What the Helly." As he sifts through different phrases and names, Rob49 says, "What the Hellyburton," a play on the Haliburton surname.
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Haliburton recorded himself listening to the song's outro in the car, and the clip was edited into a highlight package of Indiana's Game 1 win over Milwaukee in the opening round of the 2025 playoffs.
what the helly,
what the hellyburton 🔥
Game 2 on Tuesday, turn us up 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/BzqI7sSDra— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 21, 2025 The highlight package proved to be foreshadowing as Rob49 was invited to sit courtside at the Pacers' Game 2 win, where he was mic'd up and posed for photos with Haliburton and Lance Stephenson, among others.
As Indiana hit the road for Games 3 and 4, Haliburton wore "WTHELLY" merch on the team plane.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 24, 2025 Fittingly, after Haliburton's layup capped Indiana's series-clinching 8-0 run in Game 5, veteran forward James Johnson hopped on the aux to play "WTHELLY" over the locker room speakers before Indiana shifted its focus to Round 2.
hit the music 😈
James Johnson turned on WTHELLY in the locker room to celebrate Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 5 gamer 🔥 pic.twitter.com/c3kPpY1W5Z— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 30, 2025 MORE PACERS NEWS:
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'WTHELLY' song, lyrics
The song's title is a play on, "What the hell?"Throughout the song, Rob49 ends each nearly every line by asking "What the helly?" or "What the hell?" setting up the following outro that has made this a fan favorite in Indiana:
What the Hellyantte?
What the Helly on?
What the Helly Berry?
What the Hellyburton?
What the Helly Bron James?
What the Helly Cyrus? (Laughs)
Rob49's outro comes after his lone verse in the song.
In sorting through the names, Rob49 references famous jeweler Elliot Eliantte (What the Hellyantte?), Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry (What the Helly Berry?), Tyrese Haliburton (What the Hellyburton?), four-time MVP LeBron James (What the Helly Bron James?) and Grammy Award-winning artist Miley Cyrus (What the Helly Cyrus?)
Who is Rob49?
Rob49 is a rapper from New Orleans. He was born on March 6, 1999, and began his music career in 2020.His birth name is Robert Thomas and he spent his formative years in New Orleans' 4th and 9th wards, inspiring his stage name of Rob 49. When he attended the Pacers-Bucks playoff game, Rob49 was gifted a custom No. 49 Pacers jersey.
what the hellyburton 👀
Tyrese Haliburton & Rob49 exchanged jerseys after our Game 2 win over the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/RfI6MiB5GY— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 23, 2025 Prior to the emergence of "WTHELLY," Rob49 began to earn regional and national recognition with his 2022 "Vulture Island" single and was featured alongside 21 Savage on Travis Scott's "Topia Twins" from the album "Utopia."
Off the success of "WTHELLY," several major artists are rumored to join a remix, setting Rob49 up for a larger-scale breakout in 2025. Fittingly, the success of Haliburton's Pacers is accompanying it.