There’s been some debate among Southern rap fans as to whether The Carter is a classic or not. Would you classify it as a classic?
I just classify myself in general as a classic person, so of course I would classify everything I do as classic. But overall, spanning my whole career, no, I don’t think it’s my most complete album. I haven’t put out my most complete album yet.
Why isn’t it complete? What’s lacking?
Just to be more complete with yourself, period, and what you’re doing. I’m not afraid to say that I don’t know where I’m headed. I mean, I know exactly what I’m doing, but as far as the future it might be a couple years before I figure that out. I’m not talking about the industry, I’m talking about life in general. Once I figure out life and what it’s really about, if I’m still rhyming, it should be easy to put out a complete album. I still don’t have a clue what life is really about. I’m just talking about what I know, from my perspective, and that’s what people love. Every day, I’m trying to learn something new.
Why did you film the video for “Go DJ” in a prison? It really didn’t fit the concept of the song.
That was my idea. I wrote the treatment for the video cause I knew that everybody was expecting it to look a certain way. I knew everybody had their own little personal vision of what they thought it would be. That was actually the prison where they filmed Shawshank Redemption.
I heard that you’re going to college at the University of Houston and studying psychology. How does that knowledge help you in the rap game?
Personally, see, that’s the whole thing. I didn’t go to school to tie it into rap, not one bit. Rap is what I do, I was born with it. I don’t even write, I just hear the beat and what comes out is what comes out. So to be able to do that, it’s a blessing. And me being able to go to school and take psychology, that’s a blessing in itself. I feel like I know everything there is to know about rap. I know what to say, when to say it, how to say it, how every beat should sound. Now I wanna know everything there is to know about something else. I don’t wanna be thirty years old and just know about rap. I wanna be able to talk to somebody; sit down and have an hour long conversation about something besides rap.
Are you bored with rap?
I’m not bored with it, it’s just that school is important to me. I dropped out of school to rap, and I made a promise to my mama that I would go back and finish school. I finished for her, and I’m still young – I’m 22 – so I’m at that age where college sounds fun.
When you’re sitting in class, do people treat you like a regular student or like a superstar?
I actually haven’t started yet, I start in January. But I’ve been on campus many times. If people walk up and try to holla at me and get autographs or hugs, I have no problems with it. But the people also respect that there’s a difference between seeing a person in the mall or at a show then on a college campus. If people see me at the mall, they’re kinda hesitant to approach cause they think I might be busy shopping or something. At a show, there’s no doubt in their minds that they can approach me. But when people see me on a college campus, they hold up. I’m in school just like them, so why should they even trip? They’re thinking, it’s nice to see Lil Wayne on campus, because that just makes the school better. You ain’t gotta wig out cause you gon’ see me every day.
What else are you studying?
Political science. That’s the best thing they have to offer in law over there at Houston, and I wanted to learn more about the law.
What’s your opinion on the recent election?
I don’t have an opinion cause it don’t count.
Do you plan on pursuing a career in psychology or political science?
Rap ain’t never gonna fail me, but if I get tired of rap and I’ve got enough money to open up my own practice, I might take it up. If there’s enough money in it that it’s overpowering the money I could make over here in rap, then of course.
We recently printed an interview with B.G. where he mentioned that he had a conversation with you and advised you to leave Cash Money. Is that a situation where you feel stuck in the middle?
As far as that situation right there, man, we all brothers. We family, so you know he gon’ speak to me about the situation. I didn’t feel like I was in the middle, I just felt like he should do what he gotta do. And believe me, I’m gonna do what I gotta do.
On “I Miss My Dawgs,” you sound like you’re regretting that the Hot Boyz aren’t together anymore. What’s the chances of a Hot Boyz reunion?
It’s funny you ask, because as a matter of fact, I may be in a new situation real soon. If I’m in a new situation it may be easier to do something. I don’t know about all the Hot Boyz, but people may be a little more accessible. I may be signing with Jay-Z. Right now we just talking, but it’s sounding like a good idea.
You have a lot of tattoos; are there any that are particularly significant?
My dad’s name. That was my first tattoo, “In Memory of Rabbit: It’s Up To Me.” That was my first tattoo. I was fourteen when my dad passed. That’s the most significant one, because everything else just came after that.
You’ve been doing Southern music for a long time, so now that the South is finally getting recognition in hip-hop, do you feel like you – or Cash Money – had a significant part in that?
I don’t know if I played a part. As far as all the people coming down South to do remixes and stuff, you’d have to ask them, cause I don’t know, man. I’m a very modest and humble dude. There’s people that hate the South cause of Cash Money, so hopefully there’s people that love the South cause of Cash Money too.
You made a comment at The Source Awards about The Best of Both Worlds 2 that sounded like a diss to either Jay-Z or R Kelly.
I ain’t tryin’ to diss R Kelly, and I ain’t never tryin’ to diss Jay-Z because I might be going over there as one of his artists. But [R Kelly] did the Best of Both Worlds 2 thing with [Baby] and they had a whole album finished, then all of a sudden this cat jumps back on Jay’s dick. He left my dad in the shadows, so I wasn’t feelin’ that, personally. I ain’t even ask Baby or tell him what I was gonna do, I just went out there and said it. That’s the only way [R Kelly] will hear about it, if I say it in front of a group of people. But backstage afterwards, Baby was like, “Nah, I talked to him already, everything cool with that situation.” But still, as far as Lil Wayne, I didn’t respect what [R Kelly] did so that’s still my opinion, and that was my response. I don’t respect what he doing, period. But I ain’t dissing him, I’m too humble to diss.
Now that Jay-Z and R Kelly’s tour fell apart, how do you feel about that?
That shit has nothing to do with me.
If you had to list the top five lyricists of all time, would you include yourself on the list?
Of course not, that would be crazy. My top five are Jay-Z, Jigga, Hova, Shawn Carter, and Biggie.
- Julia Beverly (Photo: Jonathan Mannion)
