Why Lil Wayne always has to double-check his lyrics
Young Money founder and ‘A Milli’ legend Lil Wayne is a lyrical master and is widely considered to be one of the best rappers of all time. Alongside Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Biggie Smalls, Lil Wayne (real name Dwayne Carter) is often named when people list their top MCs.
Lil Wayne has had a long career and has grown immensely since he first burst onto the scene in the late 1990s. As a Louisiana native, Wayne was one of the first to break through into the mainstream as the star of Cas Money Records.
Aside from Boosie Badazz, Louisiana was a relatively unrepresented state in hip-hop, and Lil Wayne has been the face of the South for many years. However, Carter is a far cry from the mumble rap artists that the region produces today and is a true lyricist.
In a 2022 interview on the I Am Athlete podcast, Wayne spoke about his artistic process and revealed that since the age of 12, he has honed his lyrical skills and become a perfectionist in his approach to writing verses. Speaking about the dedication he puts into tracks, he stated, “It depends on what it is. When it’s my shit, on god, man, I could take seven weeks on two lines.”
When Wayne unveiled that he sometimes spends weeks rewriting lines, it makes sense that his material is so often flawless. As a multi-platinum-selling artist, his work has definitely not gone unnoticed, and, as the individual who discovered and propelled figures like Nicki Minaj, Drake and Tyga into the spotlight, his legacy is set to be legendary.
With tracks such as ‘6 Foot 7 Foot’ and ‘Mona Lisa,’ Carter has consistently proven that he is unparalleled when it comes to rhyming and can compete with the best. However, in an interview, the New Orleans artist admitted that sometimes he has to double-check his lyrics.
During a 2020 sit-down with Detroit emcee Eminem on his Beats 1 Radio show, Young Money Radio, Lil Wayne revealed that, like Em, he often has to Google his lyrics after he has written them.
Speaking about his long career as a rapper, Eminem explained to Carter, “It starts getting to the point where you rapped about everything, you rhymed every word there is to rhyme”. Lil Wayne was shocked to learn Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers) felt that way and admitted, that he often looks up freshly written verses to avoid duplication, unveiling, “I literally have to Google my lyrics to make sure I didn’t say certain stuff.”
In a situation of pure coincidence, Mathers told Carter that he had done that as well, responding, “Oh my God, I swear to god, I do that too!” The two spoke about how it is a signifier of the longevity of their careers. Admitting he still does it to this day, Carter concluded, “Soon as you go to my Safari, it’s gonna be ‘Lil Wayne lyrics.’”
If Eminem checks his lyrics before releasing anything, then fans will undoubtedly get brand new verses on his upcoming album The Death Of Slim Shady: (Coup de Grâce). You can hear Eminem and Lil Wayne speaking on Young Money Radio in the video below.