Image Credit: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images; Jonathan MannionBeing cooped in a Rikers Island cell won’t stop Lil Wayne from getting some work done. On the eve of his Young Money label mate Drake releasing his highly anticipated debut Thank Me Later (out now), Wayne decided that he wanted to add a verse to “Light Up.” The track already features Jay-Z schooling Drizzy on what it’s like to live in the spotlight. The obvious problem for Weezy was how he would record his verse without being able lay his vocals down in a studio. The answer was simple: Wayne took a day to gather his thoughts and rhymes, then called his crew back to have his verse recorded over the phone. Last week Wayne’s verse leaked online without the beat or appearances from Drake and Jay. This morning Drake’s engineer, 40, posted the finished product on their blog.
“I’m in my cell, reading fan mail/Wish I was Amsterdam sipping Amstel,” Wayne raps. “Behind bars, but the bars don’t stop/Recording over the phones/I hope the call don’t drop. Drizzy got the ball/I know the ball won’t drop/And I pray none of my kids ever want to be cops.”
The barely audible verse is lyrically a solid offering from Wayne. But without the polishing and mastering only a studio can provide, I doubt I’ll listen to this track ever again. Have you heard it yet? Let us know what you think of it.
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Lil’ Wayne. Bringing a new meaning to “phoning it in”
I can’t believe he gets paid for this.
why wouldnt you belive he gets paid for it? out of all the jobs or things people do in this world and your mad because lil wayne raped over the phone then how about you do it. aint noobody better than wezzy
Dear Wezzy Drew,
I think you meant ‘rapped’ instead of ‘raped.’ Freudian slip perhaps…
I can’t believe that this anti-cop crap still gets tolerated.
Indeed.
I can believe cops still beat up young black men in the projects.
Indeed.
I can’t believe that racism is still tolerated.
indeed.
I think its a new development in music no offence but rappers
In jail shud try thiz!
hope it will be a fantastic song
Rhetoric’s 5 canons:
Invention
Arrangement
Style
Memory
Delivery
Lil Wayne has them all on lock! It’s his art; you don’t have to agree with his thoughts or opinions, but there is no argument on his attention to rhetoric’s canons. He innovates the game!
u right Susan Taylor Gernenz, that the exact reason why everybody like him so much.. not only does he spit without paper..for him to come out with a insane verse like this from prison…u cant even hate *best rapper alive.*
This was crazy..”feel like nelson mandel” lol he crazy..can i get an “indeed” reply!
Indeed
I Agree with susan. Whether you agree or not with his opinions, its true. That was incredible. Thats why hes still making millions, in jail.
lil wezzy is one of actully the #1 rappppper in the industry no doubt about it lil wayne stated Hard and why stop now? if he can rap a song over the phone to be put onto drakes new song “light up” them oh well let him do it and ive heard it and i love the song! go wanye go drake go nikki GO cashmoney!