Lil Wayne

Have you heard Lil Wayne? He's the best rapper in the world and becoming one of the most successful. There's a list of the top 77 songs he released (or was featured on) of 2007. While everyone was freaking of Graduation, Weezy was sneaking his way into the best of list-topper of 2008. He's played on the radio to the point of nausea. My first listen was when I once again caved and bought an album on iTunes at 1 in the morning. I was curious.

So it's definitely like nothing I've ever heard before. Not since Dylan has such a fucked-up sounding voice been so popular and sought after. At times, he sounds like an old man on his death bed croaking out random phrases that just happen to rhyme and make sense. Other times, he sounds like a cartoon character, then switching to the square white guy voice then into some high pitched Louis Armstrong impersonation. And most of the time, it sounds like he's rapping while exhaling a big cloud of smoke.

I went to my dad's house today and picked up an issue of Oxford American magazine, published at the University of Arkansas and covers all things Southern, from music to books. I opened it to whatever page and started reading. A man had written a journal-style essay explaining how he survived his first year teaching in New Orleans (where Lil Wayne is from). He talked about how much the kids idolized him and celebrated his complete collection of mix tapes, and albums. Essays written about him, and how he used his music to relate to the kids. He listened to basically nothing but Lil Wayne for an entire year. To say the least, I'm interested in this guy.