Lil Wayne talks current hip hop, does not know where it’s at, and more with XXL

By Agustin A. Iglesias
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

In terms of hip hop greatness, a couple of years ago, Lil Wayne was definitely in the conversation. Fresh off collaborations with Jay-Z and dropping yearly albums had a lot of people interested in seeing and hearing more from Lil Wayne. However, a series of artistic choices ended up costing Lil Wayne in the long run.

Lil Wayne remains insanely popular and hip hop’s highest-selling rapper, but he is considered a thing of the past by most. Other names who are now considered current are guys like Drake, Ace Hood, and Wale, along with others. Still, Lil Wayne remains a fixture in the game.

Recently, XXL talked to Lil Wayne and they discussed current hip hop. In the interview, Lil Wayne opened up about the current landscape of hip hop and he admitted he is not following it, but listens to A$AP Mob and Odd Future. Lil Wayne went on to say he does not know where hip hop is at.

Read an excerpt from the interview below:

Who have you been listening to? If you are still listening to music with all that skateboarding…
I do. I listen to a lot of Odd Future. I’ve been listening to a lot of old stuff, though. Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Bone Thugs. East 1999, that album. Stuff like that. The first album. I listen to a lot of UGK. A lot of 8 Ball & MJG. And that’s kinda it. As far as new, I listen to Future, to a lot of the older mixtape stuff. A$AP Ferg.

Do you follow a lot of what’s going on in hip-hop, the music and the artists and the industry?
I don’t know where hip-hop is at. I just listen to the old stuff, and my television stay on SportsCenter. Even when I’m flipping through the channels, I stumble across MTV or BET or whatever, if I stop and watch that video it’s because I haven’t seen that video. I’m so amazed. I don’t know if it’s new. I don’t know who the person is.

Follow Agustin A. Iglesias on Twitter @Rule_York.