Lil Wayne Page 6

Lil Wayne stormed off stage over the weekend after someone threw a drink at him.

The 'Lollipop' hitmaker was in the middle of belting out the lyrics to his hit 'A Milli' in Garden City, Idaho, on Sunday (23.04.17) when he was pelted with a bottle of booze by a crowd member which, in turn, led to him cutting his gig short for everyone else.

The incident was captured on camera and, although he wasn't directly hit by the bottle, he did seem to have some splash marks over his clothes when he walked off.

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Storms Off Stage Over Booze

Lil Wayne has reached out and apologised for the offence he caused by suggesting that he didn't feel 'connected' to the Black Lives Matter movement simply because he was rich and successful. He made the statement in a recent interview, but explained that he spoke without thinking after another question upset him. 

Lil Wayne explains Black Lives Matter rant

The rapper appeared to make an impassioned speech on why he didn't think Black Lives Matter had anything to do with him, but has now revealed that he only said those things after a question about his daughter got him riled. 

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Blames Black Lives Matter Criticism On Reporter Getting Him 'Agitated'

Following his insistence that there’s “no such thing” as racism in America, rapper Lil Wayne has once again stirred up controversy by distancing himself from the Black Lives Matter movement, saying it “ain’t got nothin’ to do with me”.

The multi-Grammy Award winner appeared on ABC’s ‘Nightline’ on Tuesday night (November 1st), and said that recent instances of brutality against black men by police should not be treated as a collective phenomenon.

“I don’t feel connected to a damn thing that ain’t got nothin’ to do with me. If you do, you crazy as s***… Feeling connected to something that ain’t got nothin’ to do with you? If it ain’t got nothin’ to do with me, I ain’t connected to it.”

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Distances Himself From Black Lives Matter Movement

The first excerpts for Lil Wayne’s prison memoirs from his time incarcerated in Rikers Island have proved to be illuminating reading, including the revelation that the rapper officiated a same-sex wedding while inside.

According to a report in New York Daily News’ Page Six, the details are from Lil Wayne’s forthcoming book, ‘Gone ‘Til November’, in which he recalls the eight month sentence he served in the New York prison as a result of a conviction on gun charges back in 2010.

Lil Wayne's book, 'Gone 'Til November', is out October 11th

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Reveals He Officiated A Same-Sex Wedding While In Prison

Celebrity foot in mouth time! Lil Wayne dropped quite a sizeable clanger on national television this week when he claimed there’s “no such thing as racism” during an interview.

The 33 year old rapper stopped by Fox’s sports show ‘Undisputed’ on Tuesday night (September 13th) to shoot the breeze, and was asked by co-host Skip Bayless about the recent concert he held in Westchester, New York where the suburban crowd was almost entirely white.

Lil Wayne said "my crowd has always been everybody"

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Claims "There's No Such Thing As Racism"

Lil Wayne appeared to have hinted that he might be done with making music by sharing a cryptic message on Twitter early Saturday morning. Just one day earlier police had responded to reports of a suspected shooting at his Miami home, but it turned out to be a hoax call.

Could Lil Wayne be about to give up making music?

“I AM NOW DEFENSELESS AND mentally DEFEATED & I leave gracefully and thankful I luh my fanz but I'm dun,” he tweeted. “Ain't lookin for sympathy, just serenity.” Wayne was soon inundated with supportive messages from fans and fellow artists, including Missy Elliot who replied: “Prayers up 4 whatever u may be enduring right now this to will pass & may u find PEACE I will always be a fan of your work.”

Continue reading: Is Lil Wayne About To Retire From Making Music?

Lil Wayne appears to have already made a full recovery after suffering from seizures earlier this week, taking to the stage to perform live last night only two days after the medical emergency.

The 33 year old rapper, one of the biggest hip-hop stars in the world, suffered two seizures on Monday (June 13th) while on-board his private jet as it was travelling from Wisconsin to California, meaning the plane had to make an emergency landing in Nebraska.

However, authorities at Omaha Airport said that the party involved – i.e. Lil Wayne – refused treatment and that the plane departed only half an hour after the emergency divert call came in.

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Performs At E3 Convention Just Days After Suffering Seizures

Rapper Lil Wayne is said to be stable and in “good spirits” after suffering a minor seizure on Monday afternoon. Wayne was reportedly on his way from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to California when he experienced a ‘minor seizure’, forcing his plane to make an emergency landing in Nebraska.

Lil Wayne is on the mend suffering a minor seizure on Monday.

A rep for the rapper told Billboard: “Under the guidance of his own doctors, he is now in stable condition and good spirits. He thanks his fans for their everlasting support, prayers and well wishes.”

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Recovering After Suffering Seizure On Private Jet

Tragedy has struck the hip hop community once again as it's revealed that a 28-year-old rapper from Atlanta named Bankroll Fresh (aka Trentavious White) has been killed in a shoot-out outside of a recording studio. Police have no leads on the perpetrator thus far, or indeed their motives behind the murder.

Lil Wayne among those in remembrance of the late star

Bankroll Fresh (formerly known as Yung Fresh) was shot on Friday (March 4th 2016) outside Street Execs Studios in Northwest Atlanta, with the Fulton County Medical Examiner confirming that he later died from his gunshot wounds on arriving at Hughes Spalding hospital.

Continue reading: Bankroll Fresh Shot Dead At Atlanta Studio Aged 28

Lil Wayne’s tour bus was the target of a shooting early on Sunday morning, following his gig on Saturday at the Compound club in Atlanta. According to TMZ’s report, the shooting occurred around 3.30AM, just minutes after Weezy and his entourage pulled away from the club.

Weezy was not injured in the shooting, according to the report.

The people on board the two tour busses included Lil Wayne himself, as well as a few other Young Money execs and artists - including Lil Twist and Hood. Fortunately, TMZ reports, it appears that no one was injured and Weezy was not on board the bus that was hit at the time of the shooting.

Continue reading: No Victims, No Suspect In The Atlanta Shooting, Which Allegedly Targeted Lil Wayne's Tour Bus

T.I. and Floyd Mayweather had a pretty big bust-up at the weekend: a fight broke out after the boxer allegedly made some untoward comments about improper friendship between the boxer and the rapper's wife, Tameka "TIny" Cottle. Punches and chairs were reportedly thrown in the fight between the two celebs who were filmed brawling in a Vegas Fatburger.

In honour of the sheer scandal the incident has generated, we've rounded up a list of five other examples where rappers have battled with sports stars, indicating an almost cat-and-dog-like relationship between the two professionals.

1) 50 Cent Vs. floyd mayweather

Continue reading: T.I. Vs. Mayweather, And 5 Other Rappers Who Clashed With Athletes

The more things change, the more they stay the same, as in the case of Paris Hilton, whose newest video, released today, features those good old Paris staples – bikinis, beautiful tanned people, repetitive party lyrics and…Lil Wayne? Ok, we don’t think anyone could have seen that last one coming, but the rapper lent his skills to the creatively titled 'Good Time' for an entire verse.

She's back in the game.

Actually, the collaboration makes sense, since Hilton is, as of recently, a signed to Cash Money (Weezy’s frequently referenced label.) Of course, label mates have to stick together. To be fair, Lil’ Wayne’s verse, featuring gems like “Paris, do you speak French?/I get special treatment/Girl turn over, good defense” might be the most lyrically diverse part of the song, the rest of which consists mostly of Paris asking “Are you having a good time?” Spoiler alert: she’s having a good time.

Continue reading: Paris Hilton Is Back On The Music Scene With Cash Money, Lil Wayne And 'Good Time'

2 Chainz has been arrested along with 11 other passengers on a tour bus after failing to comply with police after they were pulled over with a broken tail light in Oklahoma City, News 9 reports.

2 Chainz: One Of Eleven Tour Bus Arrests.

On Wednesday night (21st Aug), 2 Chainz had performed at Chesapeake Energy Arena with fellow rappers Lil Wayne and T.I. It is not known yet whether the others were with 2 Chainz, AKA Tauheed Epps, when the bus was pulled over just after midnight on Thursday. The officer reportedly suspected that there were illegal drugs on the bus but the driver is said to have locked all the doors and refused police entry with all passengers also refusing to leave the vehicle.

Continue reading: 2 Chainz Amongst 11 Arrested In Tour Bus Raid

30-year-old Lil Wayne has been criticised over the past 24 hours for standing on the American flag whilst performing in a music video.The rapper was recorded by a bystander as he was filmed performing his new single in his hometown of New Orleans.

On Twitter, Lil Wayne explained his faux pas, tweeting "I didn't step on the flag on purpose! It's a scene in a video where the flag drops behind me and after it drop it's just there as I perform".

Comments on the video have blown Lil Wayne's actions entirely out of proportion and context. Lil Wayne is performing with his new single blaring out in the background. He merely continues to dance when the flag, hanging behind him drops. Others have pointed out he looks directly down at the flag whilst continuing to dance.

Continue reading: Lil Wayne 'I Didn't Step On The Flag On Purpose' - Has It All Been Blown Out Of Proportion?

A Week in Videos… Gary Oldman AND David Bowie in one video? It’s happened, with the Thin White Duke revealing his controversial new video for his comeback album’s title-track, The Next Day. There’s plenty of blasphemous imagery going about, with Marion Cotillard's character receiving the stigmata on her hands and Bowie himself looking like Jesus Christ, as various decrepit clergy men enjoy a sleazy bar with all the ill-reputed sorts that usually occupy such a place. See what you think.

Vampire Weekend’s new album’s pretty great and this single off it is pretty great too. This is just the lyric video so not too much happens visually however, it gives you a chance to hear one of the lead tracks from their album Modern Vampires In The City. With the anticipation surrounding that album's release, and the generally decent feedback given to the album so far, it is expected that the band will perform particularly well on the album charts.

Continue reading: A Week In Music - David Bowie Blasphemes, Daft Punk New Album Comes Early, Low Still Set The Bar High

Lil Wayne’s life has been plunged into doubt on numerous occasions since his seizures started. They’ve landed him in hospital, and are said to due to his penchant for a recreational use of medicine.

But Lil Wayne is the one having the seizures, and he’s opened up on them to MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway. "No warning, no nothing, I don't feel sick. I get headaches real bad. And the headaches? I didn't get no headaches or nothing," the rapper explained, adding that he has no memory of what happens, and has to rely on family and friends to fill in the details for him. "I told them the other day, 'Y'all can tell me right now that y'all was lying, like, 'You know what? We lyin' ain't nothin,' and I'd have to believe them because I don't know," admitted the MC. "I go to sleep and wake up in the hospital. I don't feel anything. I just hope it stops happening."

Wheezy has opened up on his condition before. "The thing is, man, the bad news is I'm an epileptic, so I'm prone to seizures," he told Los Angeles' Power 106 DJ Felli Fel during an interview in March. "This isn't my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh seizure. I've had a bunch of seizures; y'all just never hear about it.” With all these issues, Wayne has been thinking of quitting the rap game… for a career in sport, namely skating.

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Opens Up On Seizures – “No Warning, No Nothing”

A Week In Videos... She might have just wrapped up her Set The World On Fire tour, but the promotional drive for Alicia Keys fifth album Girl On Fire rolls on, with the multi-million selling songstress putting out a video for the third single from the 2012 Billboard number one LP. The video for 'New Day' sees clips of studio-shot footage of Keys dancing down back alleys, interspersed with footage of the star performing live in various instances. Given that her last single Brand New Me reached a meagre 103 at the tale of end of 2012 in America, it's going to be hard for 'New Day' to make much of an impact.

Kurt Vile's Wakin On A Pretty Daze was his most commercially successful album yet, going close to the top 40 in the UK and making 47 on the US Billboards. Yet the American psych-wizard is about more than sales figures, and pleasingly his fifth album also perhaps marks his most accomplished to-date, a record of dreamy soundscapes and hazy Americana tale-telling. Given the woozy nature of 'Never Run Away,' we wonder just exactly what that smoke coming out of the bus at the beginning of the video is...

Continue reading: A Week In Music - Alicia Keys Girl On Fire Promotion Still Going, Cayucas Debut Makes For The Perfect Summer Listen And Latest Michael Jackson Court Case Begins

Last week PepsiCo were forced to drop Lil Wayne as their spokesperson for Mountain Dew following the backlash to the derogatory lyrics in one of his songs, in which he compares rough sex with a woman to the beating of Emmett Till. But Weezy never really did anything he isn't known for, so whose really to blame for the dismissal, Wayne or PepsiCo themselves for valuing street credibility over company respectability?

This isn't the first time in recent weeks that Mountain Dew have suffered a backlash from the action of their spokespeople, with the advert for the drink by rapper/producer Tyler, The Creator being dropped for allegedly being 'racist'. But a number of commentator are up in arms with Mountain Dew and it's parent company PepsiCo for putting their faith in the rappers in the first place, despite the fact that they are well known for their offensive lyrics. So did Mountain Dew have this media backlash coming to them in the first place? The short answer really is a simple yes.

Lil Wayne has since apologised to the Till family, although they (rightly) turned down the apology

Continue reading: PepsiCo Sever Ties With Lil Wayne Following Offensive Lyrics, But Who's Really To Blame?

Why Baby Why: The country music world lost a true legend in the shape of George Jones last week. The musician was dubbed No Show George for his unpredictability throughout his touring career though he never failed to entertain and certainly had a tale to tell. The musical luminaries turned out en masse for his funeral too.

The Slipper Fits: Lily James landed the biggest role of her short career this week, filing the part of Cinderella in Kenneth Branagh's new big-budget movie for Disney. You may remember that Emma Watson turned down the role earlier this year - could that be a movie that comes back to haunt her? 

Continue reading: A Week In News: Tributes Paid To George Jones, Tyler The Creator Finds Controversy, Lily Collins Goes Zombie-Hunting

Never let it be said that Lil’ Wayne doesn’t know how to apologize – well, at least when he’s backed to the wall. And actually, was that even an apology at all? The family of Emmett Till – a black teenager, whose gruesome murder in the 1950s became a rallying point for the civil rights movement – doesn’t agree.

The full text of Lil’ Wayne’s open letter to the Till family can be read here, but some of the more telling excerpts include lines like: “I would like to take a moment to acknowledge your hurt” and “my ultimate intention is to uplift rather than degrade our community.” That’s all well and good, but a lot of people have noted that nowhere in the “open letter” does Weezy openly apologize. Regardless, the apology will do for Lil Wayne’s corporate sponsors, so it’ll have to do for the Till family as well.

The whole issue came about after the song “Karate Chop” was released. Lil Wayne guest stars on the track and one point spits out some lyrics, which could only fall in the category of “How on earth did you decide that was ok?”

Continue reading: Open Letter From Lil Wayne "Acknowledges" The Till Family's Hurt

Lil’ Wayne was reportedly hospitalized after his most recent seizure. On Tuesday night, according to a report by TMZ, the rapper was brought into the Cedars Sinai Hospital in L. A. by his bodyguards.

This isn’t a new thing for Weezy, who has suffered multiple seizures in the past and, after a series of problems that landed him in the hospital in dire condition this March, confessed that he is epileptic and has been all his life. Back then, the rapper spent six whole days in ICU at Cedars. At the time, Weezy had this to say: "I'm an epileptic, so I'm prone to seizures," he told L.A. radio station Power 106 afterward. "I've had a bunch of seizures. Y'all just never hear about it. This time it got real bad because I got three of 'em in a row, and on the third one, my heart rate went down to, like, 30%. Basically, I could have died soon. That's why it was so serious. The reason being for the seizures is just plain stress, no rest and overworking myself."

This time though, it seems to have been much better. Apparently Weezy was checked into the hospital late at night, but after a speedy treatment and an easy recovery, he was released early on the following morning. Good to know that he’s got a good grip on things now. "I'm fine. Thank u," Lil Wayne tweeted at 11:23 a.m. PT Wednesday. Hopefully, he’ll take a clue and chill out for a bit after this latest hospital stay.

Continue reading: Seizures Land Lil' Wayne In Hospital For The Second Time This Year

Lil’ Wayne has been hard at work promoting his latest album Not a Human Being II and the fourth single – RAF – just had its video released this week.

So far, the video has only been released on Weezy's Vevo, but it's bound to flood the interwebs in due time. In typical fashion, the lyrics of RAF (or Rich as F--- if you want to break down the acronym) are all about money, women and how Lil’ Wayne is the best human… err… non-human being to walk the earth. However, the video itself is a definite departure from Weezy’s usual style. And why not? The rapper certainly has the money to invest in a massive production, so why not put that cash to good use and experiment a little.

The Parris-directed video opens to a deserted scene, with a woman in red walking across, before we come to Lil’ Wayne and the video really kicks in. The visual landscape is overall emptier than we’re used to seeing in Weezy’s vids, but it works here. And, of course, when the rapper cuts in, you either love it or… well, don’t really care about it: Never talk to the cops, I don't speak Pig Latin/ I turned a penny to a mother---in' Janet Jackson," he spits, in his typical gear of dreads, sunglasses (even at night, yes) and skateboard.

Continue reading: The Official Video For Lil Wayne's RAF Shows A New Side To The Rapper, Sort Of

A video of Lil Wayne just hours before he suffered multiple seizures has surfaced showing him in high spirits whilst on the set for Nicki Minaj’s latest video shoot. Just hours later the 30 year old rapper was struck down by a seizure and admitted to hospital, he was released shortly after but suffered a relapse the following day and was admitted the Cedar-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Although being in a critical condition for a while Lil Wayne was thankfully given the all clear and allowed to return home on Monday 18th March.

Minaj was shooting a video for the next single ‘High School’ taken from the album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up”.  The single is a collaboration with the Young Money mogul Lil Wayne who also appears in the video promo. During the behind the scene footage Minaj suffers from a catastrophic double nip slip wardrobe malfunction in one of the many swim suits she dons for the filming.

Nicki Minaj has recently revealed she will be back in the studio to produce her next album whilst filming the upcoming series of American Idol.

Continue reading: Lil Wayne In Nicki Minaj Behind The Scenes Video Hours Before Seizure

A video of Lil’ Wayne and Nicki Minaj larking around on the set of their new video has been posted online. It was filmed just a few days before Lil’ Wayne wound up in the ICU department at Los Angeles Cedars Sinai Centre. The video, for Nicki’s song ‘High School,’ features Nicki in a Jacuzzi in a pretty skimpy lime green swimsuit which appears to reveal both of the rapper’s nipples, though they are diligently covered over with graphics in the video. 

In between takes, as Nicki struggles to traverse the grass in her Louboutins, she asks one of her crew to carry her across the lawn. Lil’ Wayne can be heard in the background shouting at her “you make a n***** hold you? You wack as fuck!” Wayne and Nicki obviously have a great friendship as they’re seen laughing and joking between scenes and Wayne even pushes the humour so far as to suggest that Nicki should wear her ‘birthday suit’ when she asks him for some wardrobe advice.

Continue reading: Hip-Hop Chemistry: Lil' Wayne And Nicki Minaj On Screen For 'High School' Video

Just last week we brought you some of the best Lil Wayne quotes, however clearly it’s a piece that could be added to forever and yet still always need to be revised. We say this because Wayne was at his ranting early this morning (February 18, 2013) as he tore into NBA players, specifically those who play for Miami Heat, even more specifically Chris Bosh.

The reports of Wayne’s outburst came through on Twitter, where many people were watching him play Stereo Live in Houston. This weekend just gone was the NBA All-Star weekend, and Weezy evidently had a problem with the ballers. Allhiphop.com found some of the tweets, which seemed to largely come from two people. “Wayne leading "f*ck the NBA" and "f*ck The Miami Heat" chants. "Fuck LeBron, f*ck 'she wade!!'" read one, whilst another apparently quoted Wayne saying "’The NBA banned me from all NBA events... Becaus the Miami Heat told them to ban me.’"

Chris Bosh was singled out for criticism too, with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade also apparently under fire. “’F*ck the heat, f*ck Lebron, f*ck shewayde and I f*cked Chris Bosh wife’ – Weezy” read another tweet by someone in attendance. If true, the incident stems from when Miami Heat allegedly threw Wayne out of a building during last week’s warm-up match with the LA Lakers.

Continue reading: "I F*cked Chris Bosh Wife": Lil Wayne On Alleged NBA Miami Heat Tirade In Houston

Lil Wayne is unflinching in his lyrics, but this time he may have taken it too far in Future's "Karate Chop" remix, which Weezy says he’s going to “pop a pill” and then “beat that pussy like Emmett Till.”

Of course, and understandably, Till’s family aren’t happy with the reference to his death as a sexual act. "So to compare a woman's anatomy - the gateway of life - to the ugly face of death, it just destroyed me,” explained Till’s cousin, Airickca Gordon-Taylor in an interview with the Associated Press. “And then I had to call the elders in my family and explain to them before they heard it from some other source." Epic – the record company – behind the artist - released a statement apologizing for the ill-considered lyric. “We regret the unauthorized remix version of Future's 'Karate Chop,' which was leaked online and contained hurtful lyrics," it said. They are now making “great efforts” to get the song off the Internet.

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Angers Emmett Till’s Family With Song Reference

Here at Contactmusic we’re often only waiting for one thing to pop in our news days: some Lil Wayne quotes. Lil Wayne is without doubt one of the most successful hip-hop stars in the game, with three number one US albums and four more top fives to his name. But he’s also one of its biggest oddballs too; from analogies about skateboarding to describe life, to telling police interrogators where to go on video, Weezy is rarely short of a few words or two. Of course, the TMZ-revealed deponent video that came out in September 2012 arguably contains all of his greatest quotes in one short clip, but we also wanted to look around a little deeper, in order to come up with a handful of utterly unforgettable Lil Wayne quotes.

Step inside the mind of Lil Wayne...

"A lot of women don't know how to love because there's deep reasons for them not knowing how to love. And what I mean by deep reasons is deep and dark reasons.” – July 2011

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Quotes: Five Lines That Makes Us Wonder If We'll Ever Truly Understand Weezy

A seemingly unauthorized version of Lil’ Wayne’s remix of Future’s ‘Karate Chop’ was leaked online, containing an insulting reference to Emmett Till, a young African American shot dead in the Jim Crow south, back in 1955. Epic Records have issued a statement of apology and the label’s CEO, La Reid has personally contacted the Till Mobley Memorial Foundation (named after Emmett’s mother) to apologise for any offence caused by the leaked song. However, Lil’ Wayne himself has made no apology for the song which, according to E! Online, contains the line “beat up that pu**y like Emmett Till.”

A post on the Foundation’s Facebook page stated that they were satisfied with Reid’s response, revealing “Mr. Reid stated the song was leaked out and he had not heard the lyrics," read the post. "He is a man of integrity that values our family's legacy and wouldn't allow such heinous usage of Emmett Till's name or dishonor his memory. We have yet to hear from Lil Wayne's camp and he is the one that said it! It was all I could do to hold back my tears while engaged in conversation. Thank you Mr. Reid for now I can exhale."

A version of the song, with the line censored out, is still available to listen to on the Epic Records site and on Soundcloud. 

Continue reading: Will Rapper Lil' Wayne Apologise To Emmett Till Family For 'Karate Chop' Diss?

For the second time this week, Lil’ Wayne has graced the stages in his hometown of New Orleans – this time at the GQ Super Bowl Party on Saturday, MTV reports.

This time round the set was scaled back quite a bit, having to fit in a half hour slot, but Weezy didn’t fail to deliver nonetheless. He went through some of his most popular tracks like 'John' (as the show opener) 'She Will,' 'Blunt Blowin' and 'No Worries.' The intimate setting and short setlist also had the benefit of putting him closer to the audience, though with an A-list crowd like the one attending the GQ shindig, it probably wasn’t that much of a surprise. Some of the attendees at the party included stars like David Arquette, Kate Upton, Victor Cruz, Terrell Owens, Hayden Panettiere and Terry Crews, so this certainly wasn’t a gig for mere plebians.

During the show the rapper of course didn’t miss thanking God, and, naturally, plugging his upcoming album, which is due to drop sometime next month apparently. Of course, he thanked his high profile fans too, before finishing up the solid performance. Unfortunately, that concludes Lil Wayne’s performances during Super Bowl week, but we all still have the Beyonce half time show to look forward to!

We’re pretty sure that Lil Wayne’s going to regret getting a tattoo with the word ‘Baked’ inscribed on his head. We also think that that’s the exact the state that the rapper was in when he decided to get it done. That’s right, one of the more bizarre tattoos we’ve seen in recent times now belongs to Weezy after he went and put up a picture of his new etching, written slap bang on the top right of his forehead.

In fairness to Lil Wayne, he does have a few tattoos on his face, but none are quite as prominent as this one. The rapper who – lest we ever forget – really loves his skateboarding, evidently decided to make his love explicit; ‘Baked’ has been done in the style of the logo of skateboarding company Baker Skateboards. Because he just loves skateboarding. So much. Don’t you ever forget it.

Just as well then that the movie that he’s rumored to be appearing in soon is an animation, and so his mug wouldn’t be making an appearance. Both Examiner and FilmDates are claiming that the star is to be one of the voice actors for new Pixar dinosaur movie The Good Dinosaur, though this is something that hasn’t been confirmed anywhere yet.

There's not much of his body that isn't used like the school book of a bored student but his face had been left largely clear. Increasingly though Lil Wayne is being forced to use his face as the canvas, which he has done with a new tattoo that saying 'BAKED' on his forehead.

'Baked' refers to the Baker skateboard brand. Skateboarding is a sport that Lil Weezy has expressed his love for recently, stating that Tha Carter V would be his last album and that he'd like to get into skateboarding as a business, telling MTV at the time "Rap is a taking backseat to skating." 

On his face he also has tears tattooed, as well as words across his eyelids that say 'Fear' and 'God' in cursive, plus 'I AM MUSIC' above one of his eyebrows. His torso is also littered with calligraphy, including the words 'Life's a gamble', 'Cash Money' and 'M.O.B'. Plus, on his back he has the lyrics of his track 'Let Us Pray', it reads: "Give me the patience that I need to keep my peace of mind, and with life's cares, I hope dear God, some happiness to find, let me live but for today, not worrying what's ahead, for I have trust that you will see I get my daily bread, give me the courage to face life's trials and not from troubles run, and let me keep this thought in mind 'Thy will, not mine, be done.'"

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Gets His Face 'Baked'

Lil Wayne has plenty of plans beyond rapping – and most of them involve going skateboarding.

Weezy has been talking to MTV about what he can see himself doing once he’s out of the music game – something he can see happening sooner rather than later – and mooted: “My day job would probably be a sports analyst and I would skate all night instead of being in the studio all night.” With typical Lil Wayne braggadocio though, he doesn’t just want to skate for fun – he wants to make an impact; saying that he “wants to be vital in the [skate] world”.

The skate fraternity is quite tight knit however, and there’s been some hate towards the MC’s plans, though he insisted that he’s more than adept at handling it: “I never been sonned or nothing like that because I did the eight months on the island, so you know sonning me is going to be a little difficult,” he laughed, referencing his time in jail on Rikers Island.

Continue reading: Heaven Is A Half-Pipe For Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne and his potential retirement has been in the news for some time already, and now more than ever it looks as though the multi-platinum rapper is really ready to leave music behind and focus on pastures new when he gave an interview to MTV News earlier this week saying that he plans on retiring from music once he drops Tha Carter V.

The rapper is planning to release his new album I Am Not a Human Being II in February (13), but the album following that could well be his last. The rapper instead wants to work on some of his other projects, particularly his newfound love of skateboarding and his clothing line Trukfit and lets not forget that he's also head of one of rap's biggest labels, Young Money Cash Money. So we can see why retirement would seem like an option.

Of course, Weezy wouldn't be the first rapper to announce their retirement a little prematurely as such veteran rhyme-smiths as Too Short and Jay-Z have both announced their 'retirements' in the past and only stuck with it for a few days at most. Whether Wayne proves to be the exception and stays away from music for good will have to be seen, as only time will tell.

Lil Wayne retiring; that's not something we expected to hear, especially considering the prolific rapper is a mere 30 years of age - a veritable baby in the world of music - but it's been said by the man himself, he'll retire after Tha Carter V.

Talking to MTV about carrying on in the game, and maybe renaming his upcoming title to 'fit the mood', Weezy explained, "Because I know y'all want me around for a little bit, and Carter V is my last album," before he went on to explain why he's hanging up his chains after Tha Carter V. "Man, I've been rappin' since I was 8 years old. I'm 30 now, man. That's a long time, man," said Wayne, "I signed my contract at 11, I went platinum at 14. I'm 30 now. Thank God I haven't put out an album that hasn't went platinum," he said. "To just keep it goin' like that, I think not only am I being greedy, I'm fooling myself to think that it will continue to be that great."

So will Lil Wayne attempt to fade into a life of sports punditry and skating? Well that's what he reckons, but perhaps the lure of making even more money will pull him back into making records. Jay-Z has had plenty of 'last albums', as he continually re-invents himself, often with his equally talented wife, Beyonce. 

Perhaps being on seizure medication has made Lil Wayne think a little bit about slowing down and changing his lifestyle. Speaking to MTV's Sway Calloway, Weezy revealed he has plans of retiring after the release of his final album, Tha Carter V. 

It really does feel as though Lil Wayne has been around forever, but he's still only 30 so these plans to retire come as something of a shock to fans. To be fair to him, he was signed at the age of just 11 to Cash Money Records, and since then has released ten studio albums, 11 mixtapes and appeared on countless records in collaboration with other artists. He's had a good run. 

"Man, I've been rappin' since I was 8 years old. I'm 30 now, man. That's a long time, man." he told Calloway. "I signed my contract at 11, I went platinum at 14. I'm 30 now. Thank God I haven't put out an album that hasn't went platinum. To just keep it goin' like that, I think not only am I being greedy, I'm fooling myself to think that it will continue to be that great." 

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Wants To Swap Rap For Sports In Retirement Plans

Lil Wayne has told MTV that he’s taking seizure medication, following an incident last month, when he was reported to have suffered seizures in two separate incidents; one of which was whilst travelling on a private jet.

MTV news have reported that the rapper revealed, during the premiere of his ‘No Worries’ music video that he’s on seizure medication, keen to stress that he wasn’t on any other medication… legal or otherwise.

During the ‘MTV First’ premiere, Lil’ Wayne sat down for a chat with Sway Calloway. When things got a bit hot on set, he said “Please let them know that I have an air unit, but because of the sound, they don't want the air on, so it's super hot in here, I don't want y'all to think I'm on nothing, man. I'm on seizure medicine, man, that's all.” At the time of the reported seizures, Wayne’s camp came back pretty quick to say that he was just suffering from dehydration, but it now looks as though that may have been a ploy to stop prying eyes from investigation further.

Continue reading: "I'm On Seizure Medicine, That's All", Lil' Wayne Confesses New Health Regime

Last month, during a flight, Lil Wayne had to have an emergency landing due to what he and his PR team said was a severe migraine and dehydration, despite staff saying that he was suffering from 'seizure like symptoms'. Because of his illhealth at the time he even missed a day in court. However, he has now revealed that he's taking medication for seizures, reports MTV.

During an interview with Sway Calloway on MTV, Weezy explained that the medication was affecting him. "Please let them know that I have an air unit, but because of the sound, they don't want the air on, so it's super hot in here. I don't want y'all to think I'm on nothing, man." He said, "I'm on seizure medicine, man, that's all." In addition to this medication, the other treatment the doctors advised was water. "They said I gotta drink four water bottles a day, that's what the doctors say," Wayne said, shocked. "I just came from the doctor. I ain't drinking four water bottles, but everything's good." 

Wayne has spent today (Thanksgiving) with his mother, and though he's not a big eater he always makes sure he has the full celebratory meal with his mum. It was also his mother's house that he went to for a bit of R&R after his health ordeal last month. It's not just his mum who's keeping an eye on him. "Everybody that's around him is taking care of him," Nicki Minaj said. "Wayne has so many people around him that truly, genuinely love him. I'm not worried at all. Even him being on the plane, thank God that there was somebody there right away that was able to help him. I'm just thankful that he was OK." 

For many, Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to dive into a huge meal guilt free; it's one of the best things about the holiday, that and the Thanksgiving Day Parade, but for Lil Wayne, it'll just be a small portion of turkey, thank you very much.

"Honestly, I'm not a big food Dude," Lil Wayne told Sway Calloway during his MTV First interview. "I don't eat a lot. I'm one of them people that my momma always said must just have a small stomach. I get full quick and I'm really full. I don't need to eat no more that day and nothing like that. But I'm like everybody else, I enjoy Thanksgiving. But what I meant by that is, I don't have a favorite 'such and such food' and or nothing like that. I just always eat my Mom's Thanksgiving meals. Every year. You know Mom's is a chef. She's a real chef." He might not indudge in helping after helping of Turkey, but he and his Cash Money Records colleagues certainly help others to do so, with their annual turkey giveaway truly embracing the holiday spirit. "I've heard so many crazy numbers that I don't know which true, but I know that they give out a lot of turkeys, a lot of turkeys," Weezy said. "And as far as how many... they've given so many cuz they've been doing it for years. And it's a great thing. People look forward to it and it's there for 'em every year. And it's almost like they never run out. Everybody leave satisfied."

It's not just the food that brings everyone together, and Lil Wayne looks forward to trekking back to New Orleans from whatever part of the globe he's in to reconnect with friends and family. And that's what it's all about. 

Lil Wayne debuted the video for 'No Worries' this week, featuring a Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas style narrative that sees Weezy and his producer pal Detail taking a surreal trip through Sin City, mirroring the famous journey taken by Raoul Duke and Dr Gonzo.

However, whereas Hunter S Thompson's depicted the darkest depths of the American Dream, Lil Wayne just has plenty of fun. Which is fine. "That was my main thing," Wayne told MTV News following the premiere on MTV First, "I told all my friends, I told everybody 'We don't have no script, this video [we] don't have a time to be there, we're just going to shoot and have fun,' and that's what we did." The rapper says he hopes fans of Thompson's classic gonzo novel will appreciate his tribute (we're not sure Terry Gilliam will), saying, "Well, we did [the] 'Lollipop' [video] in Vegas, and we did that for the simple reason where I think at that time I had never shot a video in Vegas.We did this video in Vegas because the treatment played off the movie 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.' We didn't really follow any script or anything; I just saw the movie, really enjoyed the movie, and I told [director] Colin [Tilley] I was interested in the movie and he wrote a spoof to it, and we shot it."

Watch Lil Wayne's video for No Worries below. Are you feeling Weezy's Hunter S Thompson homage?

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Debuts Fear And Loathing Tribute 'No Worries' Video

Lil Wayne has lost his case against Quincy Jones III, and in a counter suit he'll be ordered to pay $2.195m, according to TMZ.

Rapper Lil Wayne sued Quincy earlier this year due to the use of unlicensed music for a documentary. However, as the case reached court over the past couple of weeks, without Weezy being able to make it to the proceedings due to 'seizure like symptoms' and 'migraines', the outcome is not good for the heavily tattooed star.

Because Lil Wayne couldn't make it to court his lawyer was forced to exhibit the musician's 'deposition', which is simply a video tape of him answering questions that are pertinent to the case. Or, rather, that's what's supposed to happen. The video sees him not answering questions and generally ridiculing the whole proceeding. Tut. The law is serious! Anyway, Quincy's counter suit argues that Wayne's original lawsuit have meant the documentary was pushed right back and has disrupted release plans which have consequently been detrimental to profits. True. 

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Is A Loser! Ordered To Pay $2.2m After Losing Court Case

Talk about doing court wrong. Lil Wayne thought he had a pretty strong case when he took Quincy Jones III to the law system over a documentary made about him in 2009 which portrayed the Young Money boss in what he believed to be a misrepresentative light.

Well, Wayne didn’t do himself much favor by mocking officials questions and mocking proceedings in the disposition he recorded. He didn’t turn up to the court hearing either, after suffering seizure-like effects on a flight. Thus, TMZ are reporting that the rapper not only lost the case, but he also lost the countersuit that Jones III had thrown back at him. What does that mean? He’s coughing up a hefty payment to the tune of $2.2 million.

In fairness to Weezy, there was precious little he could do about the incident on his private planed that forced the craft to emergency land so that he could receive treatment. But his actions in his recorded disposition? Well, he was never going to be taken seriously after that surely. You can judge for yourself below, but for us it seems like Lil Wayne has just become LOL Wayne.

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Loses $2.2 Million In Court Case To Quincy Jones III

It's just one bad thing after another for some of us, and it seems the bad side of karma has hit Lil Wayne this week. Firstly his private jet had to make an emergency landing after suffering 'seizure like symptoms' - which forced him to miss a scheduled court date, and now due to his ill-health and subsequent tardiness, the judge has curtly reprimanded him for his deposition video, which he had to make, being unable to attend court.

For those of you that don't know, a deposition is testimony made outside the court room. According to MTV the video of Lil Wayne's deposition was deemed 'irresponsible' by the judge, but 'hilarious' by fans. In the video Wayne is seen telling his lawyer "that's a stupid a** question" and generally being derisive and sarcastic. The judge considered this "unreasonable conduct in the deposition" and "irresponsible behavior." 

Lil Wayne is suing Quincy Jones III for a documentary named The Carter which was about the heavily tattooed MC's life. Wayne considered the representation of him as 'scandalous', and also objected to the use of his music being used in it, arguing that it was unauthorized. The video of his deposition was on YouTube but has since been removed. Despite the seizure-like symptoms, Lil Wayne's reps reported that he was simply suffering with dehydration and severe migraines. His newest album called I Am Not A Human Being II will be released this November (2012). 

Lil Wayne has checked out of hospital after recovering from severe migraines and dehydration. The rapper's management says he's now on "mandated rest", though will return to work soon, reports the Associated Press.

Fears began to grow for Lil Wayne on Thursday (October 25, 2012), after his plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Texas when he began suffering from the migraines. Early reports suggested he had seizure, though this was played down by his spokespeople. An official statement  said the New Orleans star appreciated his fans' support though Weezy tweeted his own message of thanks on Saturday, saying he's "good" before adding, "Thanx for all the prayers!"

Lil Wayne, 30, is currently working in the follow-up to 2011's Tha Carter VI. Last month, he released Dedication 4, the latest in his hugely popular mix-tape series. During a recent interview with MTV News, the rapper revealed how he had recorded nearly 90 songs with Dr Dre, which could appear on Dre's forthcoming Detox album. The pair have apparently been working together extensively over the past couple of years. 

Continue reading: Migraine Stricken Lil Wayne Leaves Hospital, Thanks Fans For Prayers

After terrifying friends, family and fans alike with reports of suffering seizures while flying from Texas to Las Vegas, Lil' Wayne has assured everyone that he's a-okay, tweeting "Thanx for all the Prayers! I am good". 

His fans are continuing to send their love, support and prayers for the Rebirth rapper's swift recovery. Tweets from fans were wide ranging. One follower said "hope you feel better brother make a quick recovery". Another of his followers was a little more cryptic in his message to him "steady on that lean - easy on them bars". And another fan's admiration was clear: "I think I would definitely stop listening to music if something serious happened to u and I mean that!! #YMCMB".

At least his fans now know that he's a-okay, and hopefully his health is on the up. Plus, TMZ report that he's being well cared for by his Mum at her home in Louisiana, having been told that he shouldn't fly for the next few days. And we all know that TLC is often the best treatment. Wayne is currently mid-court proceedings as he has sued Quincy Jones III for a documentary made about him. His seizures have meant that he's been forced to miss a court date. The court will find out on Monday about his condition and when he'll be able to testify. For now we advise plenty of family time, home comforts and a load of R&R. All the best from ContactMusic!

Despite Lil Wayne's two albums proclaiming "I Am Not A Human Being" (part two to be released this December) he has unfortunately proven himself to be distinctly mortal after reportedly suffered two seizures within 24 hours. 

While flying on his private jet from Texas to LAX, the flight was forced make a diversion and make an emergency landing in Louisiana, according to TMZ. Within just ten minutes of landing he was treated by paramedics and rushed to a nearby medical centre. The pilot initially reported that Lil Wayne was suffering with 'seizure like symptoms' but the rapper's rep later attempted to quash those rumours, stating that he was simply suffering from dehydration and a migraine. "He is at home on doctor mandated rest" he said.  "[He] will return to work soon. He appreciates all of his fans for their support and love." 

However, in distinct contrast to the rep's statement, there were later reports of a second seizure while in hospital. TMZ also report further contradicting statements from sources close to Lil Wayne who confirm him to be at the hospital, in contrast to the rep's claims who said he had been released hours earlier. Both reports, however, confirm that whether Lil Wayne suffered seizures or just a severe migraine he is now recovering at home. For his own sake we at ContactMusic hope the Rebirth rapper to make a full recovery asap, and we look forward to his upcoming album I Am Not A Human Being II set for release on December 11th 2012.

TMZ has reported that rapper Lil Wayne has been admitted to hospital after suffering his second seizure, this time whilst on board an airplane. 

Whilst a woman believed to represent the New Orleans rapper has since come forward to deny the claims, saying that he is in fact at his home in Louisiana recovering from a bout of migraines, the website still maintains it's source is correct and that it has sufficient backing to persist with the story.

The website has since posted a picture of a man, believed to be the rapper, leaving Ochsner Medical Center in Kenner, Louisiana and climbing into a waiting SUV to further back their story.

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Hospitalised After Suffering Second Seizure

What looked to have been quite the ordeal for rapper Lil Wayne, looks to finally be over after he was released from hospital and allowed to rest at home following a seizure he had on a plane.

TMZ had originally broken the story that the critically and commercially acclaimed MC had to be hospitalised after suffering seizure-like symptoms on his private jet. Weezy was certainly out of breath alright, causing the air vehicle to land in Texas before medical services arrived on the scene and transferred him to a local hospital. Lil Wayne’s rep had told the gossip website that the rapper was treated for a migraine and dehydration; they added: "He is at home on doctor mandated rest and will return to work soon. He appreciates all of his fans for their support and love."

However, in an update to the story, the San Antonio Airport Director didn’t mention dehydration in his report. He did say, though, that there had been a medical emergency declared for the passenger on board – who was of course Lil Wayne. Fire trucks and ambulance services managed to respond quickly to the emergency and had the rapper out of the airplane within ten minutes. Although there still seems to be a couple of details missing from the story, it would appear that Wayne suffered a near miss indeed. 

A plane carrying rapper Lil’ Wayne was forced to make an emergency landing yesterday (Thursday October 15, 2012) when he suffered “seizure-like symptoms,” TMZ reports.

The private jet landed in Texas, when Lil’ Wayne (real name Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr) was transported to a local hospital for treatment. According to TMZ, he remained at the hospital for several hours before checking out at around 6pm. It’s unclear at this stage what the cause of the seizure was, or whether an exact diagnosis was given. TMZ have been told however, that Weezy is “doing better.”

Continue reading: Private Jet Makes Emergency Landing As Lil' Wayne Suffers 'Seizure-Like' Symptoms

Lil Wayne might not be able to vote, but he’s still going to make his feelings known about the forthcoming US elections. He’s been doing his research into the two candidates, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney though, frankly, we’re not sure which way Lil’ Wayne’s swinging on this one.

Wayne isn’t eligible to vote in the elections, thanks to a 2007 conviction for gun crime.  He’s made sure that he’s done a little bit of research on the candidates though, so that whoever the rest of the US voting public lumber him with, he can at least feel that he has the measure of the man. “That's all I can do from a personal standpoint," he told MTV News. "I can't vote, so all I can do is figure out who these people are and whoever you guys choose at least I know a little bit about them.” And for Wayne, the person is as important as the politics, it seems: “I am paying attention to it and you know for me following it meaning I kinda did my research on who both of these people were and not really about what they're talking about or what they're politicking about... but just to figure out who these people are.”

Continue reading: Can't Vote, Won't Vote, But Lil' Wayne's Got The US Elections Sussed Anyway

Rapper and record label exec. Birdman buys mansion for a cool $14.5m! The co-founder of Cash Money Records - home to Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Drake – bought the Miami Beach pad, which used to belong to Scott Storch.

So, who said the American property market was in turmoil? Birdman seems to be well and truly above the current austerity crisis, securing his place high up on the property ladder with a luxury $14.5m mansion on Miami beach. 70 Palm Avenue was owned by Roots keyboardist Storch, who used it as a “drugs den” (his words, not ours!). The 9-bedroom, 17-bathroom multiplex house was the location for a $30m splurge on drugs and boats for the musician, TMZ reported, and he is now said to be in a state of regret over his more decadent days after he lost the house to foreclosure in 2010. The stunning palace also boasts a below ground swimming pool as well as an outdoor pool which comes complete with a bungalow. An in-house massage room, theatre and waterfront of 100 feet and a private dock are all luxurious features present within the Money To Blow performer's new dwelling. Ridiculous.

The last owner, RockStar energy drink inventor Russel Weiner, made a huge profit on the place, after he purchased it following Storch’s tenancy for a thrifty $7m.

Lil Wayne has been given an extra bonus present to help give him more reason to celebrate his 30th birthday on Thursday (September 27th) - he's stolen Elvis Presley's crown by scoring the most Billboard Hot 100 entries of all time. Presley has managed to hold on to the honour ever since the charts were launched back in 1958, but he's finally been surpassed by the Lollipop hit maker who has outdone him with his appearance on his pal The Game's song Celebration, which debuted at number 82 this week.

Continue reading: Lil Wayne Overtakes Elvis Presley To Have The Most Billboard Hot 100 Entries Of All Time

Hip-hop star Lil’ Wayne can officially claim to be better than the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley! Well, in one sense, he can. Lil Wayne is now the male artist with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100. That title was originally held by The King, but according to Billboard’s data, there have now been an impressive total of 109 Lil Wayne songs on the chart, besting Elvis’ own record of 108.

Fittingly, the latest track that nudged Wayne to the top, is a track from The Game, entitled ‘Celebration’ and featuring Lil’ Wayne, alongside Chris Brown, Tyga and Wiz Khalifa. Wayne’s appearance on the track is deemed enough for him to rack up another point in the Billboard entry contest. This great news that – in some little way at least – Lil’ Wayne is ‘better’ than Elvis couldn’t have come at a better time, either, as the rapper celebrates his birthday today (September 27, 2012). Yesterday, he was busy launching the Trukstop Skate Park in his home city of New Orleans. “I just want to help out my city, help out the people and the kids, give them something to do, something they haven’t done before,” he told Associated Press.

Elsewhere, Lil’ Wayne has been causing much hilarity, as a deposition video of his has landed on YouTube, showing him being impressively uncooperative and obnoxious, as he’s questioned in relation to his lawsuit against Quincy Jones III. It makes for pretty funny viewing though, we wouldn’t want to swap places with the poor man trying to interview him.

Lil’ Wayne's I Am Not A Human Being II will be released in November 2012. The rapper’s tenth album comes two years after 2010’s I Am Not A Human Being, though he did release another album, Tha Carter IV last year. The first edition of I Am Not A Human Being was written whilst he was serving time in Rikers Island, for gun-related crime. Lil’ Wayne has admitted that he was forced to rush into recording that one, so he’s made sure that he hasn’t made the same mistake again.

“The difference between [this] album and the last I Am Not a Human Being would be the music wasn't rushed,” he told MTV News earlier this year. “Last time the music was rushed because I had to take that eight-month vacation on that island so we had rushed the music, but this time we didn't rush the music… I paid attention to everything I did," he said. "You're getting the quality of all my albums: Tha Carter IV, Tha Carter III, the same with this I Am Not A Human Being II. Hope you like it." The MTV blog Rapfix have revealed that the release date of his new project has been confirmed as November 13, 2012. Not long to wait for Wayne’s fans, then.

Meanwhile, Weezy has been raising a few eyebrows with a recent deposition video. The video stems from his lawsuit against the filmmaker Quincy Jones III (QD3). Lil’ Wayne isn’t playing ball with his interviewer; it may well be frustrating for the lawyer Pete Ross but it sure makes for entertaining viewing.

Nicki Minaj’s decision to join the American Idol judging panel will undoubtedly do wonders for her own career but will could other rappers expect the same success if they tried to pull a similar move? Wiz Khalifa told MTV News he could judge another singing competition, if Nicki can manage the Idol crowd. Some industry insiders seem to be in agreement, others aren’t so sure that Nicki’s latest career development will do much for hip-hop as a whole.

Karen Civil - author of her own blog and the woman in charge of running the social media accounts for the likes of Lil Wayne and Dr. Dre’s Beats By Dre headphone company – reckons that Wiz would do a good job of joining a TV talent show. “I can see Wiz hosting one of these shows,” said Karen, though she did add a cautionary comment, saying “even though he smokes a lot.” Karen also reckons that Nicki’s addition to American Idol is a double-win. As well as Nicki opening herself up to a new audience, Karen says “They need her, they need her audience, she's a very popular person and her fans are going to tune into everything that she does, so that equals viewership for them.”

Brian Miller of RapRadar.com isn’t so sure that Nicki’s success would translate so well to all rappers though. He makes the valid point that recent Nicki Minaj songs have had strong pop-crossover potential. Not all rappers have this. “I don't think Nas would ever get $8 million for judging someone in a hip-hop competition, you have to be a pop star to acquire that kind of money," he said. "If you're not in a pop lane, you're never going to ever get this kind of exposure or these kind of crossover looks.” And we’re inclined to agree.

Lil Wayne, the American rap superstar, was left confused by reports that his daughter Reginae was killed in a car crash, but was warmed by the huge influx of support he received. Internet rumours suggested that his nine-year-old daughter was killed in a car crash on 11th August, 2008, leading to many fans being "genuinely concerned" for his wellbeing in the aftermath.  

Related: Listen To Lil Wayne's Start A Fire Ft. Christina Milian At The 2014 American Music Awards

Lil Wayne - real name Duane Carter - spoke to AllHipHop.com on Tuesday 12th August, 2008, putting the rumours to rest. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who are genuinely concerned about Reginae and her safety. Please allow me to dispel any rumors or speculations and report that my daughter is alive, healthy and surrounded by family who care and love her dearly. The rumors are completely false and unfounded; neither Reginae nor any other member of my family has been involved in any car accident."