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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.
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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.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 21, 2025The 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, 2025Fittingly, 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
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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.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 23, 2025Prior 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.
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