So about a week ago I’m chillin’ with some of my folks when someone pops in this documentary about Lil’ Wayne called, “The Carter.” Now, just to keep it real, I really haven’t made up my mind about the one they call “Weezy.” Up to this point, I’ve rocked a few of his joints but I’ve never been moved enough to actually go out and purchase any of his albums. One thing I do know is that he’s one of, if not the most, recognizable rappers in the game right now. So when my boy broke out the DVD I was like, “Word!” Maybe by seeing a day in the life Lil’ Wayne I could finally make up my mind about him.
Unfortunately, after watching the DVD I came away even more undecided. The documentary had a real loose feel about it and didn’t feel like it was planned or rehearsed. It seemed like one of those situations where they turned on the camera and just let it roll. The setting was split between a few locations, but primarily Amsterdam and Los Angeles.
Right off the bat, we see Lil’ Wayne putting in work. If there’s anything that I respect and would like to emulate the most from watching Wayne, it would be his work ethic. This cat can and will work anywhere. Traveling with the essential equipment needed to record his verses, Wayne was working constantly. It was one of those situations where you really get to see the level of commitment it takes to be successful in this game. But by watching him record, it started making me think...
One thing you’ll notice is that Wayne doesn’t write lyrics and he never has. So does this take away from his skill as an emcee? I don’t know. Up to this point I had always envisioned emcee’s toting a notebook filled with lyrics they had crafted and put together. I mean anyone who’s a fan of hip-hop understands that freestyle is definitely a component of the game. But I wouldn’t call what Wayne was doing “freestyling”. What he’d actually do was record a verse, listen to it, and if there was a spot he didn’t like, he’d go back to that point and start recording from there.
Now, in the documentary Wayne claims that it’s his way protecting himself from theft and after discussing this with some other people I learned that he’s not the only one who records their verses this way. The self-proclaimed king of hip-hop, Jay-Z, records this way. I mean a part of me wonders why this even matters. Isn’t a dope verse a dope verse? I guess so, but I’m curious to know what you think.
Unfortunately, after watching the DVD I came away even more undecided. The documentary had a real loose feel about it and didn’t feel like it was planned or rehearsed. It seemed like one of those situations where they turned on the camera and just let it roll. The setting was split between a few locations, but primarily Amsterdam and Los Angeles.
Right off the bat, we see Lil’ Wayne putting in work. If there’s anything that I respect and would like to emulate the most from watching Wayne, it would be his work ethic. This cat can and will work anywhere. Traveling with the essential equipment needed to record his verses, Wayne was working constantly. It was one of those situations where you really get to see the level of commitment it takes to be successful in this game. But by watching him record, it started making me think...
One thing you’ll notice is that Wayne doesn’t write lyrics and he never has. So does this take away from his skill as an emcee? I don’t know. Up to this point I had always envisioned emcee’s toting a notebook filled with lyrics they had crafted and put together. I mean anyone who’s a fan of hip-hop understands that freestyle is definitely a component of the game. But I wouldn’t call what Wayne was doing “freestyling”. What he’d actually do was record a verse, listen to it, and if there was a spot he didn’t like, he’d go back to that point and start recording from there.
Now, in the documentary Wayne claims that it’s his way protecting himself from theft and after discussing this with some other people I learned that he’s not the only one who records their verses this way. The self-proclaimed king of hip-hop, Jay-Z, records this way. I mean a part of me wonders why this even matters. Isn’t a dope verse a dope verse? I guess so, but I’m curious to know what you think.
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