Please Explain This To Me: Lil' Wayne

For the past year or two all I can hear ironic hipsters and everyone else under the sun (or so it would seem) gratuitously praising Lil' Wayne. To me he's just a severe drug addict with weak rhymes and a penchant for vocoders.

So in the spirit of being open minded, I'm giving you, members of the SG community, a chance to further explain why he's apparently "the greatest rapper alive" to myself and anyone else not yet a believer. Post your explanations, post Youtube videos, post links to MP3s. . .I'm totally willing to at least listen.

Edit: Apparently I thought I had the Music section open. If a mod could please move this thread and delete this edit I would greatly appreciate it.

He's one of the best rappers alive, he doesn't use a vocoder (sometimes sings a hook through an Auto-Tune on a couple songs, though), and he has a problem with quality control: He puts out a TON of material, and a lot of it is bad, but the stuff that is good is just great. Not sure what being a "drug addict" has to do with anything.

I don't think you're a very big hip-hop fan anyway, so maybe you're just not into it. No biggie. A lot of people don't like him.

That often has a lot to do with the fun of celebrity watching.

True, but relatively little to do with a musician's talent.

Here's some decent verses from a bunch of different songs.

Cue the "that sucks!!", internet.

explain how this is weak rhymes:

"Safe sex is great sex. Better use a latex, 'cause you don't want that late text, that 'I think I'm late' text"


does that make me an ironic hipster?

Maybe. But Jesus H, it is undeniable that some of the greatest music ever made has been made on massive amounts of drugs and alcohol.

I was just making the point that I don't know much about him other than the interviews and features I've read in magazines.

If you listen to his albums they are usually good rap albums as with most popular artists- the singles mostly suck.


The new birdman album is also fantastic.


BUT like pointblank said if you don't like the style of music then you won't appreciate it.

Thanks for posting this

lil wayne is amazing, "weak rhymes" is the last phrase that would come to mind when referring to his songs. he also seems to put out like 50 songs a day (okay, not really, but it's a shitload). seeing him in interviews, he does look and sound like a total idiot, but he's a fucking genius somehow, which just kinda adds to his appeal.

I heard Jay-Z might be passing the reins to Lil Wayne. Radio morning speculation.

Lil Wayne is just that, lil and insignifigant. I am bored with all the hype. I don't even think Jay-z is all that. I miss the real rappers like 2Short, Eazy-E, Tupac. Even Outkast has veered away from meaningful spoken word and jumped on the edgy beats train. As a native ATLien I still give them my dollars.

Lil Wayne regurgitates, or at least makes me wanna
Overplayed and over-talked in Atlanta, Drrty South.

As we say on the streetz "puh-leaze"

Alright, I have to come back and retract my earlier statement about lil Wayne.

He is an excellent lyricist and does some edgy beats too. I brought this discussion up in the kitchen, where I work, and was corrected by not only the dishwasher but two other cooks. I asked them for proof and they gave it to me. We sat in teh car and went over some of his best songs, smoked a blunt and then I took a CD home to listen to. I have 3 of his CD's burned now and have to say, he has legitimate talent.

I don't know if it was the line "I need a Winn Dixie bag full of money to the VIP right now" or "respect is from the heart so that's where I'll start" or the upside down and strangely logical argument about spending money putting dope dealers in prison when we could educate them instead, and leave the prison room for molesters.....not to mention his response to the Rev Sheldon was very clever.......he has some things to say aside from Pussy Money Weed that are intelligent and constructive. Plus he has catchy beats, as much as I hated Lollipop at first I grew to appreciate that he was breaking traditional beats and keepin it fresh.

He still act like a fool in interviews though, but perhaps thats his image he keeps working to sell more CD's...he did go Double Platinum after all. The singles don't do his work justice, I find the less popular tracks to be more insightful.



The 'puh-leeze' on the streets is saying give me more and Lil Wayne is only happy to keep it coming.

he is fucking ridiculous.

a fad.

he repeats the same lines in multiple songs.

admitted to ghost writing.

brainwashes people into thinking he really is the best rapper.



yet, i still cant get away.

he IS a skilled rapper. and i do like most of his music. but his popularity is really wild.

If you cant enjoy that song, or any other Cash Money Records artists for the absolute ridiculousness of their music you're a party pooper and you can't come to my house.

I have no idea who he is.

Me either.....

Was he the guy who was in the group that sang "Back That Ass Up"...It's like all rappers have the same name..they jus spelled DIFFerent

Every rapper or Err... every popular is full of themselves.
Claiming you are the shit is part of it. It's silly and fun.

the new birdman album is better in my opinion. check it out

It's silly and fun, but it's also predictable. My problem with rap is that it represses talent in order to appeal to the mainstream. If Lil' Wayne is so good he should be seeking to expand what rap is, not conform to already existing standards.

I caught the Lollipop video the other night and found it horribly boring. I clicked off.

i wouldn't say it sucks, it's just boring. No impact.

I'm with Tangus I guess. Shrug.

I wish he'd go far, far away.