Hip hop is filled with so many different genres of rap music and controversial arguments about what is hip hop an if hip hop is dead. Rap music has been taken over by the mainstream media promoting Crunk music and Gangsta rap as hip hop. Dance music has also taken over the radio waves with artists like the New boys and Soulja boy calling themselves hip hop. Recently the art of auto tune has made a big come up in hip hop music and sparked arguments from it with artist like Jay z making songs like D.O.A.
Lil Wayne is a hip hop rebel. Wayne has been able to take all the things that people say are killing hip hop an make them resurrect album sales (1 million albums in one week) and a fan base that is incomparable. Lil Wayne was signed at a very young age of 11, the same age that most rappers were in school or on the streets. He has created some of the most popular phrases in hip hop and the world like "Drop it like its Hot". He is the creator of Bling bling a very much used phrase in the rap game and is in the dictionary. LilWayne has kept a record label on its feet even after several of its best Mc's left.
As far as Waynes music, it is unmatched. He is the only rapper in the game who can take a radio hit song, make a remix (like the whole drought 3 mixtape), put it on a mixtape and have it played more times then the original. He is one of the most explicit rappers in the game and is on more collaborations then anyone. He is one of the only rappers who can make a song about killing someone sound intricate. His fan base of males doesn't even compare to his female fan base and thats unheard of from rappers. In an era of downloading an record sales at an all time low Lil wayne able to sell a million copies of his album Carter 3 in one week. Lil wayne remains using auto tune on some mixtape songs (like I can take your girl and Go Getta) even after his idol Jay z came out with death to auto tune. Lil wayne is the first rap artist to come out an say he is soon to drop a rock album.
Now you dont just have to take my word on Waynes rebellousness, recently released on dvd, The Carter Documentary shows all of Waynes great creativity and work ethic in a very well put together video. You can also go to youtube an search for lil wayne and listen to all of his music. There are numerous magazine articles on the man from vibe to rolling stones. Katie Couric recently had an interview with Lil wayne for his remarkable Grammy night in which he was nominated for 9 awards an walked away with rap album of the year.
Recently Lil wayne plead guilty to gun charges in New york an is set to spend a year at Rikers island in NYC. Lil Wayne is very open with his syrup use the famous cough syrup that has been part of the deaths of artist like Pimp C and Dj Screw. Lil wayne is the most wanted music artist by all music artist not just rap, magazine covers everywhere an has recently started acting in movies. A lot of skepticism has has come up since waynes strong affiliation with Bloods came out. After Drug scandels, rumors of homo tendencies, 3 kids in one year, and pending jail time Lil Wayne still remains as Raps leading man and an American icon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LknUWpSUYJ0 this is a link to Wayne thanking his fans.
“I’m not an example for how people should live their lives,” he says. “Never in my life would I ever set out to be an example for people on how to live their lives. If you need an example for how to live, then you just shouldn’t have been born. Straight up. I am a great role model, because I’m only a role model for two, and that’s all. That’s what matters to me - those two. So why don’t you worry about yours, and let them worry about theirs? I got mine.”~Rapper LilWayne on being a role model to his kids, 10-year-old daughter and a 2-month-old son. From Vibe Magazine
