Dee-1 says that his forthcoming Separated At Birth mixtape was inspired by fellow New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne. 

During an interview with MTV, Dee-1 says that his versions of Wayne’s songs won’t include the same type of subject matter that the Young Money rapper includes in his material, though.

“I’m rapping over Lil Wayne beats,” Dee-1 says during the interview. “But I’m doing the more conscious, thought-provoking versions of his well-known songs.”

Dee-1 flips Lil Wayne’s “Tha Block Is Hot,” for instance, from a song about hood drama to a call for investing in the future through legal enterprises.

Given that his songs differ dramatically thematically from Lil Wayne’s, Dee-1 knows that Lil Wayne may or may not appreciate his reinterpretations of the songs included on Separated At Birth, which is due September 15.

“I don’t care if he takes offense to it or not,” Dee-1 says. “I’m not doing my music for him to like or dislike. I’m doing it for the fans to see that this is someone who heavily influenced me, but I’m choosing to take a direction with my music to where I want to be a role model. Lil Wayne doesn’t seem to be concerned with being a role model through his music, through the content.”