Lil' Wayne Talks Signing Nicki Minaj And Drake, And Competing With Jay Z And Kanye West

20 March 2014, 10:54

Plus hear his thoughts on new album 'Tha Carter V.'

Lil' Wayne caught up with journalist Elliott Wilson on his recent trip to this years South By South West event to talk all things music including signing his Cash Money proteges Drake and Nicki Minaj, his history with Jay Z and Kanye West, plus what he thought of Kendrick Lamar's 'Control' verse. 

Watch the first part of the interview above or catch the highlights below.

(Warning: This video contains language that some people may find offensive.)

On 'Tha Carter V': "I’m approaching it like it is my last project and I think that’s why it’s a lot different than everything else... I'm working a lot harder... I’m approaching it as if you don’t have tomorrow."

On studying Psychology: "I went to school because I have kids and so I need them to know that it's important, dad is who dad is but he still went to school. Other than that, it's school, i've always had great grades... I still have to impress my mum." 

On not signing with Jay Z: "It wasn't like Jay was reaching out for me - he expressed interest... I went over there and we met, but history turned out to be what history is." 

On signing new people to Cash Money: "Personally I have to like it, I have to enjoy it... What i mean by that is, it doesn't have to be super popular for the crowd - I have to enjoy it. And if i believe in it then I believe there's something in it and I will try to push that something." 

On Drake: "When I heard his music, and everytime I hear his music, I still get the same feeling, like, 'Man, ain't nobody can touch this dude."

On signing Nicki Minaj: "She was being Nicki. That’s who I met and that was without the glitz and the glamour. When I first heard the first two and four bars, it wasn’t even about she’s rapping better than any female rapper, it was about man, she's rapping better than the rappers, period."

On Kendrick Lamar’s 'Control'  verse: "When I hear a Kendrick verse or something like that, I be like, 'Oh man, I'm tired of this, man.' I'm not about to be out here talking about I’m the best. I don’t need nobody coming at my neck."

On being friends with Kanye West: "I think we came up in that era of music where, you know like in basketball the older players go out there to beat such and such... [The competition] they live for that... I think we came up in a friendly environment."