Marykate Fallon
Staff Writer
Weezy F-baby, Tunechi, Birdman Jr, and Mr. Carter are only a few of the many nicknames rapper, Lil Wayne, has claimed since he has changed the music industry in 1990. Lil Wayne started rapping when he was just eight years old and is respectively known as the greatest rapper of his time. Lil Wayne’s full name, Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. has been his inspiration to create four, soon-to-be-five on October 28, albums titled “Carter.” RJ Jackson, senior, is one of the biggest Lil Wayne fans at Foran. When asked “What is appealing about Lil Wayne that makes you like him?” Jackson responded with “Weezy is one of the hardest working artists out there right now. His work ethic is unbelievable and it has obviously paid off. With the end of his reign as king in sight, he still continues to put out consistently good singles and with Carter V coming out at the end of the month, I am anxious to see what he has in store for us next.”
Regardless if you’re a Lil Wayne fan or not, you know of Carter 3. It was a record breaking album and Weezy’s most successful album to date. It won a Grammy for best rap album of the year in 2009. The album also debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 Chart, selling 1,005,545 copies in its first week. This album was what proved Lil Wayne to be one of the best in the game and that Weezy was here to stay. When asked “What are your favorite tracks on Carter 3?” Jackson responded with “Lollipop and A Milli, two timeless pieces of hip-hop that continue to impact listeners today.”
Lil Wayne isn’t just respected by his fans but also by his fellow colleagues. Two of the industry’s most hottest rappers, Drake and Nicki Minaj, have been quoted several times during interviews how learning from the best has really helped them grow as artists. Drake credits his work ethic to Weezy and wishes to be as legendary as Lil Wayne someday.
Carter 3 is clearly one of the greatest albums of Lil Wayne’s career but you can never predict what’s coming next with Weezy. Carter 5 debuts on October 28, 2014 and after hearing two of the singles that were released early, fans are definitely in for a good time. Jackson believes, “After hearing a few singles from the Carter 5, I believe this album will be something special. Weezy has, for the most part, put out good albums but I think this one will be different. This one has the chance to tie or even surpass the success of the Carter 3 and go down in history as his best album. Weezy wants to let the young, hot artists know that he’s not quite done yet.”
Fans can expect nothing less than hard work from Weezy considering he is always pushing himself every day to improve his music and career. Lil Wayne has a studio on his tour bus so as he travels he can continue to do what he loves and make music for his millions of fans.
Rumors have escalated that this is Lil Wayne’s last album and he will be retiring after it is released. In an interview from 2008 Wayne says “When I’m 35, I’ll be away from the game and a full time dad.” However, in an interview in 2013, when asked about the topic again, Wayne responded with “I don’t know anymore. I’m still making good music, making money fo’ sho’ and having fun. The day I stop having fun is the day I retire.” When asked “Do you really believe this is Weezy’s last album?” Jackson responded with, “Honestly, I don’t know. It is hard to tell when Weezy will leave the game, but when he does it will be when he wants to. But in all honestly, I’m still waiting for tha’ carter…sixty nine.”
When Weezy decides to put down the mic for good, it will be a sad day for hip-hop listeners across the world. But he has surely earned the right to enjoy his life away from work and will leave the game as a legend.
