Lil Wayne: I know for a fact, music is about perception. You can’t do anything but perceive what you hear. If I know that for a fact, I can never be upset abut someone’s reaction to it. I’m not gonna say I don’t know what will happen before I say it [on record]. I do know what will happen. I am aware of it. It is what it is.
So you knew the repercussions of going after Jay before anything even happened?
Well, I’m a man. I believe as a man you should know that. Every man should know the repercussion and consequences behind whatever they do before they do it. And of course, I know there wont be any repercussion behind what I did.
With the release of Jay- Z-Kanye West collaboration Watch the Throne, fans have already started discussing a similar project featuring you and Drake. Is that really going to happen?
Yeah, we still plan on doing it. We just gotta find the right time.
I know you mentioned that you don’t view your peers as competition. But is there any part if you that believes you and Drake can trump The Throne?
Obviously for the Lil Wayne fans, those deep fans, the real Lil Wayne fans know that I’ve been stretching my real voice. It’s not the first time I’ve sung on a song. Nothing inspired me to do it because it wasn’t nothing I haven’t done before. It’s just a song I felt was doable, and I went in and done it. Thank God for the results.
You mentioned how humbled you were at the success of “She Will.” Drake, who wrote and performs the song’s chorus, has now become a platinum star in his own right. Do you look at the guy and say, “Wow, I helped create a monster, I have to stay on my toes”?
I don’t look at it like that. Drake is my artist. If he wasn’t my artist, then yeah maybe. But that’s my artist. He’s not [just] a friend. We’re more than friends. It’s business. It would be impossible for it to be a competition. I mean, I’m the guy’s boss.
Are you shocked at how huge of a star Nicki Minaj has become in such a short time? We’re talking about someone who went from releasing underground mixtape in Queens, N.Y., to opening up for Britney Spears.
No, not shocked at all. It was just the plan, and always the goal. Actually [Nicki] hasn’t done anything yet. She hasn’t satisfied me yet.
You’re a tough boss…
Well, I’m not satisfied with anything she’s done. I believe she can do a whole lot more, and I believe she will do a whole lot more. It’s not shocking, and it’s not surprising. It’s quite fitting. But other than that, it’s nowhere near the end.
Has Nicki gotten to the Diva level where she’s requesting that all brown M&M’s be removed on her tour rider?
[Laughs] Nah, not at all.
Given that Cash Money artist Jay Sean is a native of the U.K., you probably have some strong feelings about the London riots and how some talking heads blamed it on hip-hop culture.
All you could do is pray for the people that were dealing with the situation and hope for the best. As far as them blaming hip-hop, you can blame Jesus for things, so you can’t really fault anybody for blaming someone or something. All you can do is hope for the best.
When you were in prison you blogged that the hardest part wasn’t being locked up, but being away from your children. Now that you are out, you’re juggling parenthood, behind head of a label and a touring artist. Is it overwhelming?
It isn’t as tough as it seems because I’ve been doing this for a long time, so everything’s kind of in place—and I thank God for that. It can get tough, at times, and it can get difficult. But the more complicated it gets, the more better it is. I’ve settled with the fact that I’m a wanted artist.
In what way?
There are superstars that people love or are fans of. Fortunately, I’m an artist that my fans actually want to be around me and see me. They want to feel me. That’s why I go on tour a lot, because I actually satisfy my fans with it. That’s the whole point of it; just satisfying fans.
At 28 you are already a veteran of the music industry, which has gone through major changes since the day you were a 9-year-old rapping on Cash Money. Has originality gotten lost on today’s MCs?
[I don’t judge them.] All I can say is make sure that you’re not rhyming because you figured you could sound like Drake. Make sure those aren’t the reasons that you’re picking up a pad and pen. Make sure that you’re doing it for a real reason. I did this when I was 8 years old. I started writing raps for a reason, and that reason was because I loved to make words rhyme. That was my reason for making music. So make sure you have a real reason that you want to rhyme. Don’t make that reason be “I’m tryna make it out the ‘hood’” or “I’m tryna feed my family,” because this sh*t ain’t guaranteed to do none of those things.
Some people say that you almost have to be obsessed with your craft, right?
Exactly. If you want to be where I’m at with it-I been in this 18 years. If you ain’t got that kind of dedication, then just leave it alone and do something that can actually benefit your future for the long run.
People would categorize you as obsessive, especially at the rate you’ve recorded and released mixtapes. When do you find time to sleep?
[Laughs]. I try to! I try to now because I’m getting older. I heard less rest brings wrinkles. But other than that, nah. I believe you sleep when you die. Life is to be lived, not slept.
Although you now live in Miami, do you see yourself moving back to New Orleans?
I’m not sure. But I know [whenever I visit] it’s pretty special just because my family and friends are there and they get to see me, especially when I’m on tour performing. I’m sure there are people in the crowd that I’ve known when I was younger who I have no connections to right now. I like to know that they’re seeing me in this form. Like the people I went to school with and people that was there when I would tell them I’m gonna be a rapper. I still remember telling my teacher that I’m gonna rap. That hip-hop is gonna be my job.
Did those teachers believe that this actually was going to happen for you?
You know what? I have to be honest. Most of my teachers always said, “We don’t know if you’re gonna be a rapper, but you’re gonna be something.” They always said, “You’re gonna be something. You’re not gonna be regular or average. You’re gonna be somebody.”
So no stories of teachers telling you, “Nah, rapping is a pipe dream, kid.”
I didn’t have that. I was always very smart, so I’m thinking that those people that always say that they [experienced] those stories were probably bad students [laughs]. Their teachers probably told them, “You’re ass ain’t doing good in school anyway, so rap ain’t gonna help your ass!” I was always an A student. I was always in the best schools. I got my diploma. I went to college.
One thing you were never banking on was becoming a tabloid fixture on the blogs from various legal issues to who you are dating. How do you deal with the fact that you will never again experience anonymity?
You don’t deal with it. You deal with life. You deal with what’s really going on and what’s really real—that’s your four kids, that’s your mother, that’s your family, that’s your business and that’ the people around you. You don’t deal with what people are saying.
I don’t know anyone else who could get away with having all three of his children’s mothers [VH1 reality show star Toya Carter, singer Nivea and actress Lauren London] all smiles and peaceful when spending Christmas together. Want to give a few pointers?
I don’t think it’s anything that I do. It’s the person that I am. I think that just has a lot to do with it. It’s the same answer to the question about why I was never told I won’t be a rapper or I won’t be successful. There aren’t any problems with any of my personal or social situations because it’s who I am and what I am.
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