When Weezy Met Mrs. Katie
Things I learned from the interview:
• Being gangsta means you don’t take anything from anybody, and you just do what you want. Huh. I think there might be a little more to it than that. Plus, doesn’t that just make him independent? Wait, does that mean that indie rock=gangsta rock?
• Lil Wayne believes “that music is another form of news.” Couric nods at this with intense perspicacity. “Music is another form of journalism to me, so I have to cover all the areas with my album.” Indeed, “all of the areas” were covered in “Mrs. Officer”, a song ripped straight from the headlines!
• Katie Couric could not not make a Wayne’s World reference. Way to go, 1992!
• Lil Wayne loves bowling and supposedly has his own shoes and stuff, but his Obama-level performance led off with two gutterballs—so he blamed the lanes, the shoes, and the ball. Good form! That’s usually my tactic.
• Lil Wayne is really Dewayne, but he dropped the “De” because he’s really a Dewayne, Junior. His father was never around for him, so his personal rebranding is his way of sticking it to his old man. When Katie asked, “Does your father know this?” (De)Wayne replied, “He does now.” Pow. This felt like a missed crying opportunity.
• On growing up in N’awlins: “In New Orleans, reality is handed to you really early.” He gave $200,000 to N.O. charities after Katrina.
• Mrs. Katie: “Do you think you’re great?” Wayne: “I do.”
• One of his two buses has a recording studio in it! Man, am I envious.
• Wayne says he stopped being addicted to syrup-drinking because it hurt his stomach, though he didn’t say he stopped using entirely. When asked about smoking weed, Lil Wayne says “I will stand up to marijuana any day” because he has killer migraines. Katie snorts, but let’s be frank here. Marijuana clearly isn’t impeding this multimillion-selling workaholic artist or that eight-time gold medaler. The war on weed is insane. Maybe I need to start smoking it!
• When asked about being a role model: “If you need an example for how to live, then you just shouldn’t have been born.” Whoa. Mind blown.
Lil Wayne Katie Couric Interview [YouTube]