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Lil Wayne Reacts to His Placement on Billboard's Greatest Rappers List
Lil Wayne declared himself the “Best Rapper Alive” on his 2005 album Tha Carter II, and 17 years later, he still feels that he deserves the crown.
Fresh off the release of his new single “Kant Nobody” with DMX, Weezy reiterated his GOAT status while weighing in on Billboard’s Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time.
Speaking with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he was informed that he was No. 7 on the list, below other greats like JAY-Z, Nas, and Eminem.
“Man, who the hell is before me? Was the list including ALLLL hip-hop, like before and after as well?” Wayne asked.
After showing some humility (“I can deal with that”), he went on to declare himself the GOAT, suggesting that his peers would agree.
“I will tell you that I am a motherfu**ing 1. Everybody whose names you named, they also know I’m number one. Go ask ’em. They know what it is,” added Wayne.
But the Young Money boss doesn’t approach his craft as a competition. “This is creativity. No one gets behind a mic, approaches a song and says ‘I’m making a song so it can be better than this one,'” he said. “If we all approached it that way, yeah it’d be a competition. This is creativity. Any individual who creates, this is their individuality. They’re putting their growth and creativity out there for you to enjoy. But we also know this is what the world does, so we have no problem with it.”
Drake and Nicki Minaj also made the top 10, below Wayne at No. 8 and No. 10, respectively. JAY-Z was No. 1, followed by Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Tupac Shakur, Eminem, and The Notorious B.I.G.
Wayne can be heard alongside another great, the late DMX, on his new Swizz Beatz-produced single “Kant Nobody,” which arrives ahead of his long-awaited album Tha Carter VI.
“I never even imagined. That didn’t even sound right years ago,” Wayne said while reflecting on his sixth album in the series. “I can’t believe we’re at Carter VI. My fans know I give my all. Go listen to my last feature and know it’s gonna be a thousand times better than that.”