Lil Wayne covers Billboard’s Hip-Hop 50th anniversary issue.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Hip-Hop genre, Billboard enlists legendary Lil Wayne for the special cover issue. The Young Money mogul sat down with the platform for a new interview where he looks back on his monumental career.
“I think it probably means more to me than I even know, because I am still in it, a deep part of it, and I’m still learning every day,” he reflects on the hip-hop anniversary. “Hip-hop will never be over. But I also think that maybe down the line, I’ll be able to answer that question better because I don’t think I know how much it means to me yet — because it means that much.”
In the interview, Weezy also stated that he doesn’t think artificial intelligence has the capability to copy him. “Someone asked me about that recently. And they were trying to tell me that AI could make a voice that sounds just like me,” he said. “But it’s not me, because I’m amazing. I’m like, is this AI thing going to be amazing too? Because I am naturally, organically amazing. I’m one of a kind. So actually, I would love to see that thing try to duplicate this motherf–ker.”
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“Obviously, always up and bigger and better,” he said about the future of Hip-Hop. “Also, what I’m seeing now is the art and the ultimate artist being able to do anything. It’s like when you and I were talking about basketball. Back then, we were looking for a Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]; if you were tall, we wanted you in the paint. Not even knowing how to shoot a three-pointer; we didn’t even want to see that. Now we’ve got these seven-footers coming in, and we need you [to] know how to dribble like Allen Iverson, how to shoot like Steph Curry. You need to know how to defend like GP [Gary Payton]. And that’s the ultimate artist. I believe that that’s where the genre is headed: artists able to do everything — from singing to tapping into different emotions.”
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“I don’t have a secret. I just work. I just keep going. I never stop,” he said about his longevity. “It’s just the work ethic, plain and simple. No more, no less; I don’t do nothing but my music. And also, in my mind, every single time I say the word “work,” I ask God to forgive me. Cuz I know this has never been a job. It’s just a dream come true. So that’s why I’ve never stopped.”
In the interview, the rapper also named his top 5 greatest rappers of all time. “There’s no specific order, but it’s simple. For me, it’s always been Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, UGK, Goodie Mob and Biggie,” he said.
Check out the full interview on Billboard.
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