Lil Wayne‘s recent comments about deserving the No.1 spot among the best rappers ever is up for debate, according to Melle Mel.
During an interview with The Art Of Dialogue, the Hip Hop pioneer made it clear he doesn’t think Lil Wayne should regard himself among the best. According to him, Weezy can’t take the top spot for one specific reason— autotune.
The conversation came about while Melle Mel discussed Billboard and VIBE‘s 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time List. The OG rapper said Lil Wayne’s rap skills are questionable because people “don’t even know his real voice.”
“How could you know. How?” he said of Wayne, who bagged the No.7 spot on the list.
He continued: “If his voice is on autotune, was something wrong with his voice for them to put the autotune on his voice? Or is it just something that they did in the studio to give it that rawness? But how could you know?”
The comments come on the heels of Wanye’s own statements regarding the list during an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe.
“Man, who the hell is before me?” Weezy said after Lowe asked his thoughts. “Was the list including ALL Hip Hop, like before and after as well? I can deal with that.”
He added: “I will tell you that I am a muthafuckin’ one. Everybody whose names you named, they also know I’m number one. Go ask ’em. They know what it is.”
Mel, who landed at No.48 on the list, said that if his legendary group, Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five, had used autotune, their iconic track, “The Message,” wouldn’t have had the same impact.
“It would’ve made the record sound a little bit more cheesier,” he said.
While Melle Mel said that Wayne is “entitled to his own opinion,” he doubts if any other rap greats would agree with his sentiments.
“If you have five capable ‘so-called great rappers’ on a panel, I guarantee you, Lil Wayne would not be No.1,” he said.
This isn’t the first time the seasoned rapper has brought up his thoughts on Billboard and VIBE‘s list. In another clip, Melle Mel claimed that while Eminem and Kendrick Lamar have talent, “nobody wants to rap like them.”
Specifically, regarding Kendrick, who landed at No.2 on the list, Mel said his music doesn’t “translate into the street part of Hip Hop.”
“I don’t know what records he made like that,” he said. “I might know one or two of them, but I don’t think you even hear Kendrick in the club like that.”
When it came time to his thoughts on Em, who ranked No.5, Mel didn’t hold back. The rapper said he believed the Detroit rapper was only considered a top MC because of the color of his skin.
“Obviously he’s a capable rapper,” he said. “If you was talking about sales, he’s sold more than everybody. If you were talking about rhyme style, okay he got a rhyme style. But he’s white. He’s white!”
50 Cent later came Eminem’s defense, saying that Melle Mel doesn’t understand the culture has “grown so much” from its first iterations.
“There was more money selling dope than being in Hip Hop when Melly Mel [sic] was popping, the culture has grown so much.” 50 Cent said. “I am not sure if it would be what it is today with out artist like Eminem. Shit I am not sure I would be who I am with out him but you know it is competitive so n-ggas gonna hate. LOL fuck outta here ! We sucker free.”
However, Chuck D disagreed with the G-Unit rapper, stating that Melle Mel knew what it took to be the best because the Furious Five MC was a dominant force in Hip Hop’s early years. He also compared the rapper to NBA Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain.
“Understand Melle Mel was so dominant over the rest of the pack in the first 5 years of records its hard to comprehend for born after MC folk,” he wrote. “Its why i call him Wilt Chamberlain and Wilt had a crate of critiques for the rappers after him including ME. Just Let Mel be Wilt lol.”
How does Wayne travel around Canada with Felonies ?
its called money and being a worldwide superstar.
Homeboy been watching The View too much. He gonna start dressin like Whoopi before you know it.
He kinda already does
Melle Mel is having a senior moment. Must be dementia. Somebody needs to change his diapah. This old man can’t control his bladder. Or his bowels. He make doody in the diapah!
Drake, Future and Lil Wayne in top 10 along with Nas, Common and Tupac. The rest is subjective. A GOAT should either be ahead of their time or set trends and styles that the rest of the culture feed off of. These 5 did that. Common just sneaks in cause he’s a true underrated Poet.
Drake, Future and Lil Wayne in top 10 along with Nas, Common and Tupac. The rest is subjective. A GOAT should either be ahead of their time or set trends and styles that the rest of the culture feed off of. These 5 did that. Common just sneaks in cause he’s a true underrated Poet.
Lil Wayne is trash. When I was in high school only the kids who didn’t know anything about hip hop listened to him. You know, the kids that listened to Metallica and Limp Bizkit but also liked the way Cash Money beats sounded after a few Natty Ices.
Man all of you sound stupid
The last verse of the message is still possibly the greatest rhyme of all time
autotune is trash, worst “trend” ever, still cant believe its been looked at as something of an “industry standard” for over a decade now. that said, Wayne hasnt ALWAYS used it, and doesnt use it anywhere near as much as all his “offspring” that cant make a damn song without it.
Besides using autotune though, there’s also a big caveat with Wayne, that he likely has used ghostwriters for a good part of his time “on top”
However, dude is just not anywhere near GOAT material though, with or without autotune. …. so yeah, top 20-25 MAYBE, and thats being generous
Lol what is really wrong with autotune? It was used in different ways way before t pain. It’s just a pitch corrector.
Melle Mel’s lips continues to keep talking but nothing is really coming out.
Wayne is a all time great. Mel has guys he already doesn’t like and then finding something to try to justify why they aren’t this or that. This guy is white so he can’t be, this guy uses auto tune so he can’t be. Wayne is a all time great top 5, Em is a all time great top 5. I feel like Mel is frustrated with his lack of success or commercial recognition. If he walked in a room with majority rappers 40 and under no one would know who he is, and that’s messed up and not the way it should be. But Wayne and Em are top 5 guys based on their skills, quality of music, rapping ability, lyrical ability and longevity.
Bullshit, Em only sold more records because white people went out in droves and bought his shit so that he can be labeled the top selling dude! He’s nothing but a damn culture culture!!! Wayne has been accused of having ghost writers more than once, so his creditably is shit!!!
Very True that he sold a lot of records because a large audience of white people that don’t listen to black rappers went out and bought his records. But still people buying your record doesn’t account for your talent. I base him being a top rapper because of his skills not record sales. Wayne has been accused of using ghost writers, accused or proving for a fact???? Their are rumors that Jay and Nas have used ghost writers. You say his credibility is trash because why the persons accused him are so reliable and show factual evidence??? Are you say his credibility is trash because someone said something you want to be true even though you don’t know if it is. Em and Wayne or both great, they can rap, they have quality built into there quanity . Kendrick is making huge leaps as well his last album was his best imo.
When guys get the platform to speak on things and they get a chance to let their voice be heard I never get why they talk about the things and people they don’t like or who doesn’t deserve what. Why not talk about who you like and what you appreciate. This is a chance to show love to guys you don’t think got the love they deserve and maybe he did, I didn’t watch it.
Lil Wayne better than Prodigy, Treach, Common, Tupac, Eminem, Mos Def, Kweli, Biggie, Gza, Method Man, Jada, 50, Az, Nas, Kurupt, Snoop, Guru, Royce, Black Thought, Jay Z, Big L, Canibus, Rakim, Raekwon, Ghostface, Scarface, Styles P, DMX, Daz, Lupe, Kanye, Andre Benjamin..
Dude would get murdered by Foxy and Lauren Hill if they were locked in a room and they had 60 minutes to write a dope verse. Dude has the IQ of a beetle.
Lil Wayne better than Prodigy, Treach, Common, Tupac, Eminem, Mos Def, Kweli, Biggie, Gza, Method Man, Jada, 50, Az, Nas, Kurupt, Snoop, Guru, Royce, Black Thought, Jay Z, Big L, Canibus, Rakim, Raekwon, Ghostface, Scarface, Styles P, DMX, Daz, Lupe, Kanye, Andre Benjamin???
Dude would get murdered by Foxy and Lauren Hill if they were locked in a room and they had 60 minutes to write a dope verse. Dude has the IQ of a beetle.
Lil Wayne better than Prodigy, Treach, Common, Tupac, Eminem, Mos Def, Kweli, Biggie, Gza, Method Man, Jada, 50, Az, Nas, Kurupt, Snoop, Guru, Royce, Black Thought, Jay Z, Big L, Canibus, Rakim, Raekwon, Ghostface, Scarface, Styles P, DMX, Daz, Lupe, Kanye, Andre Benjamin???
Dude would get murdered by Foxy and Lauren Hill. So stop.
Mele Mel has dementia . Thoughts & prayers to his family through this difficult time
Their is more of a argument for Mel not being a top 50 guy than there is for Lil Wayne, Em, and Kendrick not being top 5. We love our legends and try to show them love but when they are wrong they’re wrong. Mel didn’t have a consistent career and the quality of his work decreased after his first work.
What in the fuck !!!!!Thanks Mel for the dumbest shit I’ve heard so far this week
I agree with Mel! Eminem and Kendrick does not belong in the top 5. No way and no sir! Lil Wayne same goes. No way you can put those guys ahead of KRS 1, Rakim or Big Daddy Kane. To me Nas can be 1, 2 or 3 period. He changed the game in 94 and every single rapper wanted to be him and he was the most influential. Almost every single rapper bit off Nas even the Pac and Biggie. PAC said this man!!! Pac bit off Nas!
I agree with Mel! Eminem and Kendrick does not belong in the top 5. No way and no sir! Lil Wayne same goes. No way you can put those guys ahead of KRS 1, Rakim or Big Daddy Kane. To me Nas can be 1, 2 or 3 period. He changed the game in 94 and every single rapper wanted to be him and he was the most influential. Almost every single rapper bit off Nas even the great Pac and Biggie. PAC said this man!!! Pac bit off Nas! Liste
Boy you must be at least 65 lamo
AGREED. A broken clock is right twice a day, and this is one of them. Wayne is the most overrated rapper of all time. He’s a top pop artist, though. But hip hop, he aint. no matter what y’all poppy garbage lovers say about it. You’re not even hip hop fans either, by the way. Get lost.
“I don’t listen to rap, it’s just niqqas talking shit” _ GACTS!!!!
Wayne is top 10 period
I never got the Wayne thing. The squeeky voice, hot topic swag, wack punchlines. Shit is pure garbage if you ask me.
Never GOAT material: 1. The lil dudes 2. Auto Tune Singers 3. Kiss Men Rappers 4. Clowny The Rapper 4. Ghost Writer Users 5. Weak Pen Game 6. Strippers on the mic. 7. Bought weed at a dispensary. 8. Dress wearing rappers 9. Use too many zaggin on the albums 10. BILLBOARD MAGAZINE AND YOURS TRULY!
Lil Wayne is trash