Lil Wayne, The Rock Star, Captured In 7 Key Moments
By Candace McDuffie
Lil Wayne, one of hip-hop's most spirited and freewheeling auteurs, is set to embark on
a nationwide tour with punk-pop fixtures
Blink-182 this summer; the fun kicks off this Thursday (June 27) in Columbus, Ohio. While the announcement may have come as a surprise to some, those familiar with Wayne's extensive catalogue know his impressive musical fluidity. The self-professed "best rapper alive" has habitually oscillated between the traditions of Southern hip-hop (he joined Money Cash Records in 1995 any time while he was just 12 years old) and the modern-day experimental nature of rap. During his career, he's also worn his affinity for rock — as a statement of both music and style — proudly.
Weezy's look,
originally imagined radical for a urban artist, has since become the blueprint for current emcees to emulate. Donning multicolored dreadlocks as well as a plethora of face tattoos and piercings, Wayne boasted an option aesthetic that has inspired a generation of younger performers like
Young Thug,
Lil Uzi Vert, and even
Post Malone to embrace their most authentic selves. It's a sentiment that has likewise trickled down to discography.
In honor of Lil Wayne being rap's most decadent rock star and his summer plans with Blink-182, here are some of his best career crossover moments that defied easy categorization between "rap" and "rock."
Bar for bar with Birdman on "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" (Rock Remix)
the opening single from Lil Wayne's 2006 joint project with his one-time mentor Birdman,
Like Father, Like Son, "Stuntin' Like My Daddy," procured the rock treatment courtesy of Blink-182's own
Travis Barker. The song, which was featured on the deluxe version of the album, still keeps both rappers' signature calculated cadences and florid deliveries. Although with the heavy-handed guitar riffs and swelling buildups, Barker's version of "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" boasts the two different genres working in harmony with one another — also it just goes.
A quick cameo on "Party Like a Rock Star"
One of 2007's most notable anthems made the cliché feel universal, thanks in part to Wayne's lithe, albeit brief, appearance on this Shop Boyz remix. Sonically, it contains the rhythmic bombast of a club-ready banger with a couple of guitar chords thrown in. Lyrically, though, it pays homage to the fabled "rock-star lifestyle" while name-checking some of the genre's most mythical figures like Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy Lee, and Mick Jagger. Weezy's walloping verse, equally, celebrates everything he embodies: "Young Cash baby, you know who we are / And I can play with that pussy
like I play that guitar."
Getting emo with Fall Out Boy
It was only a matter of time before Wayne got in touch with his sensitive side, as he did on
Fall Out Boy's "Tiffany Blews" in 2008. Because the musical group took a more formulaic songwriting approach in the year before its first break-up, Weezy's brought a refreshing, ambitious presence to the track. Patrick Stump's delivery of Pete Wentz's flowery lyricism is par for the course. However Wayne's tender bridge — "Dear gravity / You contained me down in this starless city" — holds
an early blueprint for the onslaught of emotionally resonant, emo-inspired SoundCloud rap that took hold a decade later.
Indulging impulses with Weezer
Rivers Cuomo's propensity for catchy choruses shines brightly on this club-ready gem from their seventh studio album, 2009's Raditude. Full of inspiring builds and playful melodies, the song flawlessly aligns with Lil Wayne's rambunctious and hedonistic lifestyle. From consuming excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages that they pop in clubs to the females that swarm them to the cars and jewelry they spend their cash on, it's clear Lil Weezer are enjoying the spoils of their riches with each other — a wry nod to Weezy's fun with the Shop Boyz just several years back.
Courting rock (and controversy) on Rebirth
As soon as Weezy pivoted to rock with 2010's ungainly
Rebirth, it left fans confused and
critics unimpressed. Crunched between his wildly successful albums
Tha Carter III and
I Am Not a Human Being,
Rebirth seemed blasphemous — a crossover attempt by rap's biggest mastermind — however it only cemented Wayne's creative insular vision. The record is saturated with angst and meteor-storm productions, along with Weezy's impulsivity. One minute he's full of pop-punk precociousness on "Knockout," and the next, he cranks up the intensity on "One Way Trip."
Rebirth wasn't just a defiant move by Wayne — it was a career-altering one.
Letting the drummer have some
As illustrated above, the collaborative history between Travis Barker and Lil Wayne is a prosperous one. Certainly, for the opening single from his 2011 debut album, Give the Drummer Some, Barker recruited some of hip-hop's most famous stars, including Swizz Beatz, Rick Ross, The Game, and Tunechi himself. "Can a Drummer Get Some" is your common pulsating rap-rock monster soaked in whirlwind crescendos and steely percussion. While the other rappers do their best to keep up with the fast-paced nature of the track, Wayne is right at residence as his bars prove to be as heady and relentless as he is.
Creating the ultimate mash-up with Blink-182
Yet last year's
Tha Carter V showed how Wayne once again relished in his rap ingenuity, the announcement of a joint tour with Blink-182 was a bold one. Then again, during the time of
Denzel Curry demolishing Rage Against the Machine covers and
Lil Nas X dipping into power chords (thanks to Barker, obviously, perhaps right now is the best time for Weezy to prepare a rock comeback and remind skeptics of not only his musical versatility, nevertheless his sheer talent as well. The "What's My Age Again?/A Milli" mashup that accompanied the tour announcement does that perfectly; his bars brilliantly work in cohesion with the song's classic chords and bombastic percussion. With Weezy on the mic and Barker beyond the kit, this arena tour is sure to be one for the ages.
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