| There's been so much going
on with you lately. Tell me about "The Carter"!
Lil Wayne: The Carter man, my fourth solo
album! I'm 21 now so it's kinda like my first album as an adult.
An official adult, cause I've been a man for a minute. You know
how people word it, so, I wanted to see what the reaction was,
see if people put me on the level I'm supposed to be on! As far
as the work ethic, I try my hardest just like I do with everything.
OK, so what concept are you going with
for this album?
Lil Wayne: Well The Carter, that's the
concept. That's my last name of course. I feel like I ain't never
changing the Lil Wayne because I'm a junior. So the Carter is
kind of like I'm giving you me, the full me. Also, in the movie
"New Jack City" there was a building called The Carter
that was in New York! If you saw the movie, then you know what
Nino Brown and his cats did out of that building! He had a whole
lot of success and power out of that building, and I feel like
I got a whole lot of success out of me, and I'm trying to give
it to the world!
So it sounds like you've really put a lot
of thought into this new album.
Lil Wayne: Yea, I put a lot of thought
into everything I do, even putting on my shoes.
Now, you previously had a release date
set for last December. What happened to push it back so far?
Lil Wayne: The music changed up. It was
a lot of changes in the record company and a lot of changed in
the artists. I had a lot of former artists on the songs and if
I put it out, I'd have to pay them and I'm not trying to do that
so, I was very patient. I said let's go back in the lab and do
it all over again and make a new portion.
How much of the album has been redone?
Lil Wayne: 100%. I don't like to do nothing
old. I don't want nobody that's not affiliated with me no more
to hear something and be like "I Remember That". I want
everything to sound new and be new.
What are you doing new this time around
that we haven't seen from you in the past?
Lil Wayne: I got a lot more creative control
this time. You know, since Birdman's hot right now, well, since
he been hot for a minute, he's been busy doing his thing. Usually
he's in the studio with me telling me what's right and what's
wrong, but this time it was just me. That's another reason why
it's called "The Carter".
With "The Carter" being your
fourth studio release, do you feel any pressure for it to sell
high?
Lil Wayne: I really don't care about what
my record sales do. I always want em to sell high, but I don't
care about that because I just love the opportunity to be heard.
Like, I love the opportunity that you call me, or I call you and
I got to do interviews. As long as it things like that going on,
if this conversation was about why the record is not selling,
I'd still enjoy it. It's just the opportunity to be involved.
That's what's exciting to me.
Would you say that your subject matter
has changed very much since your last few albums?
Lil Wayne: Exactly, I'm very mature now,
I'm talking about a whole lot more things that people can relate
to.
You've been around in the game for so long
that you've been able to see first hand how the game has evolved
and changed. What do you feel about the direction that things
are going in?
Lil Wayne: As far as the game, I don't
even worry about the game, I just play my game. I'm not worried
about what direction it's going in. If the game depended on me,
then I know the direction it's going in is up, because that's
the only way that I'm going.
Looking back at the span of your career,
what do you think you have contributed to the southern hip-hop
movement?
Lil Wayne: I'm the best rapper out the
south. I've contributed a whole lot man, I created Bling Bling!
That shit's in the dictionary now, drop it like it's hot! Man
how many motherfuckas can say that? I contributed a lot man, and
not only to the south, but for the south.
What are you doing to ensure that your
music stays relevant over time?
Lil Wayne: Waking up every morning.
Now your first single, "Bring It Back",
what was the concept for that song? Where were you coming from?
Lil Wayne: Oh, just keeping New Orleans.
Like a lot of people hear that and be like "That's Lil Wayne
Right There". I don't know what the hell they mean by that,
but that's the concept. Just to be original. Like when we first
came out and first got seen, this wasn't our first video, but
our first video people looked at, it was "Ha", the video
"Ha" by Juvenile. So "Bring It Back" is kinda
like bringing it back to the city, showing pictures of people
in the city, not really having no serious concept on it!
Are there any plans to remix the track?
Lil Wayne: Oh Cash Money don't do remixes!
I know you know that! We don't do remixes because if you ain't
do it right the first time, then what's the purpose? We just move
on to the next single!
Who all do you have featured on the album?
Lil Wayne: Uh, you know Cash Money don't
do features! I got my own artists from my own label, an R&B
act! Baby, Mannie Fresh, people like that! If it ain't Cash Money
or Young Money, it ain't no money at all! Production-wise, did
you stick with Mannie Fresh for the entire album? Lil Wayne: Mannie
Fresh, Jazze Pha, The Architects!
Do you have any desire to ever get into
producing, at least with your own material?
Lil Wayne: It's too hard!
You seem to have the coolest relationship
with Mannie & Baby. It's rare with a lot of labels for the
artists and the boss to be like an actual family. What do you
attribute your good relationship to?
Lil Wayne: Cash Money Records isn't a label.
Cash Money Records is a family. That's why you have to get a long
with a family. In a family, you wake up every morning and come
to the same dinner table, no matter if you mad or not, you still
got to look at each other and talk to each other. That's why we
get along like that cause we a family. Plus, I'm a good child
and I don't do nothing wrong.
Now tell me about your label that you're
building, Young Money.
Lil Wayne: Young Money is an R&B label.
I'm trying to be a real grown man about it. I got my first artist,
is name is Reel, and he's featured on my album. I'm trying to
stay straight R&B with that cause I'm doing hip-hop things
somewhere else. But as far as Young Money, it's what people not
expecting.
Now I know a lot of people ask you this
and you're probably sick of hearing it, but, do you think there
may be a Hot Boys reunion cd?
Lil Wayne: I don't know man. I hope. It
would be nice, but I really don't know everybody's situation.
I know you could look in the future and know that there's gonna
be another Lil Wayne album though!
www.cashmoney-records.com
www.universalmusic.com
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