Last night (October 3), TIDAL presented its latest installment of #CRWN, a live-interview series featuring host Elliott Wilson. This time, his guest was Lil Wayne, who insisted his interview take place in his hometown of New Orleans.
Hundreds of Wayne fans lined up outside the House of Blues on Decatur St. to catch a glimpse of Wayne in his first live interview since releasing Tha Carter V, not only one of the most anticipated rap albums of the last decade but also one of the highest-selling in 2018. Though things got started about an hour later than scheduled, fans were gleeful to see Weezy’s face as he entered the stage. He’s made no secret of his struggles with mental-health issues and the legal woes he faced in court over royalties and contracts with Cash Money Records founder, Bryan “Birdman” Williams. As such, Tha Carter V and his appearance last night signal a proverbial page turning in the career of the self-proclaimed “greatest rapper alive.”
Over the course of the hour-long interview, Wilson asked Wayne questions that were mostly predictable and Wayne gave responses that were, at times, perfunctory. Nevertheless, the sheer magnitude of Lil Wayne being back was enough to give the room an air of genuine excitement and Wayne was not short on smiles. Humor was also not in short supply; Wayne delighted the crowd and his interviewer with self-effacing anecdotes. “I haven’t heard it,” he told Wilson when asked about Tha Carter V. Several times, he admitted that he’s forgotten lyrics to his songs and some of his collaborations. Elsewhere, Tunechi was poignant, particularly when discussing fatherhood and his longtime friend and current manager, Mack Maine.
In one of the few questions Wilson asked which pertained to Lil Wayne and New Orleans, he asked Wayne how it felt when Birdman publicly apologized to him on stage at Lil Weezyana Fest this past August. “I didn’t even know. I was in performer mode. Somebody had to tell me after the fact, ‘Yo, Birdman just apologized to you on stage,'” Wayne responded. When asked if he and Birdman maintain any kind of communication since settling in court, Wayne said “He’s a sports fanatic, and I’m a sports fanatic. He’ll always text me something about the game.” For fans who’ve been following the acrimonious split between two men who, at one point, called each other father and son, hearing Wayne discuss the issue was a precious moment.
Arguably the most compelling part of their conversation centered around Wayne’s suicide attempt, which he documented on Tha Carter V‘s “Let It All Work Out.” At this point in the interview, Wayne explained that, at the time of the attempt, his mom was away at work and he was able to convince her he’d been shot as a mistake. It was hardly revelatory information to longtime fans, but watching a giant of braggadocio discussing something so personal was monumental.
Other topics covered included his plans for Young Money, home to juggernauts Drake and Nicki Minaj; the recording process for Tha Carter V , including one particularly cute anecdote about Facetiming with Snoop Dogg; Wayne’s approach to songwriting (he doesn’t actually write anything down…) and much more.
Wayne was at his most animated, it seemed, when answering questions from fans in the crowd. A couple of brave fans used the opportunity to promote their own music, which elicited some cheering from the audience. Others asked for his advice on what young creatives can do to keep motivated in a world where everyone is looking for attention.
With last night’s event, TIDAL provided fans with a truly historic moment. Wayne was shining (literally, you should have seen his jewelry) and gracious. Fans can get a free 90-day trial of TIDAL here: www.tidal.com/lilwaynefans.
