Following the announcement of Brooklyn rapper Jay Z’s retirement in 2003, fellow artist Lil Wayne took it upon himself to dub himself the “best rapper alive” in the wake of Jay’s retirement. Weezy made the proclamation on Tha Carter record “Bring It Back” as he announced, “The best rapper alive since the best rapper retired.”
While speaking with Elliott Wilson of CRWN last week at South By Southwest, the self-proclaimed Jay Z fanatic revealed the reason as to why he honed in on the “best rapper alive” title following Jay’s retirement. According to Wayne, his claims to the title stemmed from the love he had for Jay Z as an artist and the need to “step up.”
“I loved Jay so much,” he said. “And then at that time I was super young and I was still—I was a fanatic of Jay Z…So, when he said he was retiring, I looked—I was like a basketball player looking up at Kobe or looking up at Jordan…LeBron. Somebody gotta step up. And you know, I felt like you said, I felt like nobody cared about what I said, so when you’re that person then what you say means the world to you.”
Wayne then touched on the Roc-A-Fella Records deal that didn’t quite come to fruition. He says that at the time he met Jay Z, the rapper merely expressed interest in his skills as an artist.
“It wasn’t like Jay was reaching out for me or nothing,” Lil Wayne said. “Like needed me, ‘I need—I want you over here.’ He expressed interest. And I took that and you know me…I was on the first thing smoking. So, I went over there and we met. I met with Jay. But the history turned out to be where history is.”
As far as the “best rapper alive” title is concerned, Lil Wayne revealed that he no longer uses the title due to his work at Young Money and the artists at the label.
“Because I have awesome artists. Simple and plain,” Wayne said when asked why he no longer uses the “best rapper alive” tile. “I have awesome artists. And I’m not trying to outshine them at all. And at that time I didn’t have that. So, when I was saying it like that I was like ‘I don’t care who on the mic.’ But now I have artists that I feel like ‘I want you to be better than me’…It ain’t about that now. You know? It ain’t about that. It’s about them. And it’s about us.”
In addition to the artists at Young Money, Lil Wayne also referenced Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar during his CRWN interview. While speaking on the TDE emcee, he stated that hearing verses from artists like Kendrick can be exhausting.
“Honestly, I look at it like…Like if you hear an older athlete talk about the game and you see…Some of them keep it real and let you know ‘Man, I couldn’t get out here with these young boys,’” he said. “You know what I mean? They be like ‘Man’…So, that’s how I be looking at it now when I hear a Kendrick verse or something like that. I be like ‘Aw man, I’m tired of this, man.’ I am not about to be out here talking about ‘I’m the best.’ I don’t need nobody coming at my neck. None of that.”
Lil Wayne also shed a few details on his next studio album, Tha Carter V. He says he’s approaching the album like it’s his last project and is currently working with his team and “the usual suspects” on the LP.
In addition to briefly speaking on Tha Carter V during his CRWN interview, Lil Wayne also addressed the project during a recent interview with MTV News as he informed those watching that he plans on being more careful with his content this time around.
“I’m more careful about what I’m doing and trying to be more careful about what I’m saying and things like that,” the rapper said during an interview with MTV. “There were times where I didn’t care. It’s not that I didn’t care. It’s just that I knew that I had people above me or around me that was gonna make sure whatever I said or shouldn’t have said or whatever I did or shouldn’t have did. Well, now, I’m those people, and I’m telling me what I should do and what I shouldn’t say and it’s awesome.”
CRWN x Lil Wayne, Ep. 1: Kanye West, Jay Z and ‘Tha Carter V’ from CRWN on Myspace.
RELATED: Lil Wayne Plans For “Tha Carter V” To Be His Final Solo Album
even at his best (carter 2 mixtapes guest feature time) wayne was barely top 10 niggas don’t feel his shit cause its just drugged up bullshit talk even when its good.
Beanie Sigel Styles P LLoyd Banks Nas Ghostface Killah Inspectah Deck Scarface Chamillionaire Crooked I Kendrick Eminem Jadakiss are what wayne will never be…..
Young money flop
I got a vision u got a tele call it television lol
Yo mah nigga you kilt it!
I got rhymes like a drug dealer got weed. That’s dope lyrics.
My mans will fuck ya daughter call it manslaughter
he knows he fell off
he recently said that Kendrick is better than all of his artists and that no one can touch him.
Is there a link for that interview?
thats why hes releasin more albums then 90% of his artists lol
SO DID HE DISS KENDRICK???
You obviously did not read the article… smh! You could easily answer your own question by reading.
Wayne was probably the biggest Jay groupie ever. I remember a time where he would talk about him in every interview, try to rap like him, he even stopped writing his lyrics down because Jay claims to do that. I think that was his downfall as an artist. He forgot who he was, and started making garbage while pretending to be someone he’s not. I’m not impressed
…He’s seems pretty Humble now a days!!!…
‘So when Weezy says that he’s better than Jay-Z
Please be that just subliminally
Means he thinks Jigga’s the best and that he’s
The only one up in that league’ – Eminem (eminem knew it all along, cause he understands, no, better yet, LIVES HIPHOP!
The gay era is over.those bum will flop now.look at dj khaled. gusto=officer ricky.young money.they all flop
Speaking as someone who is no longer a Wayne fan, I liked most of his albums up to the Carter III. He just doesn’t have the hunger any more. Occasionally, he can get inspired and make a decent song, but it’s clear he’s lost the passion. I think drugs have probably screwed up his mind enough that’s he’s not capable of ever being able to return to form.
Let’s not kid ourselves. In his prime he was good/ I’d even argue that he outshined Jadakiss on deathwish.
Brow jadakiss was never that good. I mean he dropped some dope shit in his day but he’s like a poor mans prodigy
By The Way..Yo
How the fuck you gon’ talk about MC’s on our heel?
When we just cop them things homie the chromey wheels
Both arms are chunky the sleeves on chill
Any given times a hundred G’s in your grill
Don’t talk to me ’bout MC’s got skills
“He’s alright, but he’s not real”
Jay-Z’s that deal, with seeds in a field
Love affair for war, hug, squeeze that steel
Fuck, you gotta a flow that’s cool with me
You got a little dough that cool with me
You got a little cars, little jewelries
But none of y’all motherfuckers could fool with me
You know the wrist frostbit minus two degrees
Bout as blue as the sea the way I manuever the V
Hat cocked can’t see his eyes, who could it be?
With that new blue Yankee on, who but me?
Niggas shipped two million, then I blew the three
Then I skated the four, ‘fore I went on tour
I came back and it’s plain, y’all niggas ain’t rappin the same
Fuck the flow, y’all jackin our slang
I seen the same shit happen to Kane
Three cuts in your eyebrows tryin to wild out
The game is ours, we’ll never foul out
Y’all just better hope we gracefully bow out
-Jigga
This the wackest phucking crowd ever…how he just for the first time describe the moment he became lil wayne and nobody in the crowd clapped?
lmao u bitch nigga like that is sum big moment in hip hop history wayne is a fuckin joke rolling round on a skateboard in jeggings. The one dope thing he did was Carter 2 and a few mixtapes he has been an embaressment since
Dude Is Scared…He Is Shook
http://soflaw.com/post/80074036732/storytime-ten-stacks-by-beard-gawd-diary
thank you lord this mutherfuccas stepping down, time for real music
Start working from home! Great job for students, stay-at-home moms or anyone needing an extra income… You only need a computer and a reliable internet connection… Make $90 hourly and up to $12000 a month by following link at the bottom and signing up… You can have your first check by the end of this week
Start working from home! Great job for students, stay-at-home moms or anyone needing an extra income… You only need a computer and a reliable internet connection… Make $90 hourly and up to $12000 a month by following link at the bottom and signing up… You can have your first check by the end of this week……http://x.co/45SbL
Wayne should go back to that competitive nature.. He SHOULD try and outshine his labelmates and not feel like its about US.. but feel like its about ME as an artist. Surely Drake n them will still progress as artists despite Wayne clearly outshining them… As a rapper, you should try and be the best even when you are nowhere close hence Waynes previous title.. “Best rapper Alive”…
He stop using the title becuz he knew it was a lie
ex.actly..
Today, wayne’s rising while jay z’s fallen off. I liked Z’s work before his retirement. Then, he started making empire state of mind crap.
Empire State of Mind >>> Wayne’s career post-07/08
Wayne’s falling off, too.
New 50 Cent music!! Check out the link!
http://www.jamplify.com/ca72f6
Is there a link you can give for that interview ?
salute my Gz @ cashmoney,,, salute to steve solomon , slim , birdman ,,,, props n shout out to steve for inviting me to his superbowl aftr party n sd ca thr i met the gr8 dj who evr bless the 1z n 2z jam master jay rip to the God!!,,,tht moment chng the course n culuture of hiphop ,,#tanning of amercrica,,..running into birdman n slim latr on @ hard knock life tour ,,,brought them backstage,introduce them to the ROC ,kno one knu thn wht they would become too b now !!! salute frum the og big homie BIG DADDY ROC-A-FELLA RECORDS !!!
I’m looking forward to hearing the new album….
So am I. In his recent interviews he’s sounds a lot humbler than he has been in recent times.
The “F” is for “Front Door”
LOL Wayne is in a hole and doing some PR control. Finaly this dummy’s foul mouth caught him in hot water. People are done with the pussy popping lines and various ways of wayne fucking the world because lifes a bitch. Remember this loser acting foolish being questioned on tape & then he beat up the pussy up like Emit Till. Fuck you Lil Wayne
who ever thinks lil Wayne is the greatest rapper alive is a blind Illuminati brainwashed cant think for himself fool and jay z also overrated fat lipped talentless bum lyrics are whack his flow is whack and his music is whack 99 percent of rap is whack only rappers i would dare to listen too tupac biggie rakim dmx immortal technique everlast brother ali and old scholl west coast shit thats it
you mad
he is because he said so 😉
forget nas lil waynes great
ffs pick up a book and educate yourself before use make stupid comments like this brainwashed is what use are from media and tv listen to some real rap that actually means something and stop praising guys like these who are either fake, not talented. rap about materialistic things brainwashing are youth lock these fucks up and ban them from preaching there hate and spewing there nonsense
50 Cent Animal Ammbition Leak http://www.jamplify.com/91237d