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Photo by Ryan Dombal

"Dear Anne (Stan Pt. 2)", the new song from Lil Wayne, is a sequel-of-sorts to Eminem's now-classic tortured-fan ode "Stan", though Wayne's version is decidedly more benevolent and nobody commits suicide-murder by car crash at the end. According to Nah Right, Swizz Beatz produced the track, which makes it a departure for that usually-antic producer, and it will not appear on Wayne's forthcoming album Tha Carter IV. Hear the track at Nah Right.

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After "Six Foot Seven Foot" and the Rick Ross-featuring "John (If I Die Today)", "How to Love" is the third track released from Lil Wayne's forthcoming Tha Carter IV, out June 21 on Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown.

The light-footed, Auto-Tuned R&B track produced by Detail is certainly a departure for Wayne-- it's probably the quietest song he's ever released. And while it's something of a surprise, remember that Wayne's favorite song while in prison was the similarly soft "Sometimes I Cry" by Eric Benét.

Listen to "How to Love" at Miss Info.

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Staples Center, Los Angeles, April 22nd

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Sun., April 10, 7:00pm

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The video for Lil Wayne's nutso BNM'ed comeback single "6 Foot 7 Foot" can be watched below, via HipHopDX.

Directed by rap video grandmaster Hype Williams, the clip is mostly just a collage of absurd imagery: Wayne's head falling off, Wayne chasing his own brain as it flies away, multiple Cory Gunz-es on a city sidewalk, etc. At certain points, it's also a parody of Inception, for some reason. It's a fitting video accompaniment for a song that finds Wayne back in silly-absurdist top form.

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"I don't fuck with [Lil Wayne]... and you can print that." "A Milli" producer Bangladesh spoke those words to Vibe in May after Wayne's label allegedly stiffed him on $500,000 worth of royalties. He went on: "I'm so confident in myself, that I don't need Lil Wayne. There's gonna be so many opportunities. I can create a Lil Wayne." Well, if he didn't realize the astounding idiocy of that last bit seconds after he said it, the beatmaker seemingly knows it now. "Six Foot Seven Foot" was produced by Bangladesh, it utilizes the same hypno-loop/below-end attack as "A Milli", and nobody will ever make it sound as good as Lil Wayne makes it sound.

The track gets its title from a sample of "Banana Boat (Day-O)", originally a Jamaican work song about wanting to go home. Free after eight months of concrete surroundings, Wayne can relate. This is the spring-loaded Road Runner zoom of a song everyone was waiting for-- but it wasn't guaranteed. Many rappers have gone to jail, few have retained their power afterward (see: T.I.'s continuing implosion). And Wayne's last two major releases-- the cock-rock downer Rebirth and the diluted I Am Not a Human Being-- had him discombobulated, unfocused, and losing a step. So "Six Foot Seven Foot" is not only a startling introduction to Wayne's forthcoming Tha Carter IV, it's also a relief.

With no hook to speak of, the song is all about Wayne still doing what he does better than anyone else-- telling you why he's the best. It's a well-worn hip-hop topic for sure, but that makes it all the more impressive when he flips it in unheard ways. "You niggas are gelatin, peanuts to an elephant/ I got through that sentence like a subject and a predicate," is one particularly triumphant (and ridiculous) couplet. There are many more. But the most meaningful line may also be the simplest: "I don't feel I done enough, so I'ma keep on doin' this shit." Please do get out of his fucking way.

MP3/Stream:> Lil Wayne: "Six Foot Seven Foot" [ft. Cory Gunz]

[Possibly from Tha Carter IV]

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Just released from prison, Lil Wayne has had a turbulent year. Spending seven months in prison due t

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A clearinghouse of pre-jailtime work, Weezy's latest album is neither a hint of what's to come nor a clear reminder of why we care so much in the first place. [Ryan Dombal]

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Rap and pop music have long exchanged amorous ogles, and recently, their sparkly offspring have staggered forth in the form of NutraSweet club anthems befitting Snooki's bachelorette party. But since Lil Wayne was sent to Riker's Island on gun charges in March, some needed cellular division has occurred.

Two of the summer's most insistent hit records, Rick Ross' "BMF" and Waka Flocka Flame's "Hard in the Paint" (both produced by Lex Luger), were heavy, violent, and unabashedly rap. Then Kanye West, perhaps pop music's most dynamic artist, began leaking neo-purist rap tracks with cameos from respected veteran MCs Mos Def, Pusha T, and Raekwon. Whether a backlash or a correction, the trend proved that popular rap records could be created with less sugar than B.o.B or Nicki Minaj shovel into their singles.

So when Wayne uses his eighth release, I Am Not a Human Being, to spout off over the sawing techno synths of "What's Wrong with Them," or "Popular," it's like finding a nine-month-old cheesecake in the back of the fridge. These songs, gleaned from pre-jail studio sessions, adhere to the since-dispelled notion that commercial rap should be threaded with Lady Gaga's DNA. Weezy can't be faulted for being unfashionable, but such are the risks when one passes off last year's factory seconds as this season's new collection.

This ten-song set is something of a shakedown, ultimately, and one unlikely to rekindle the affections of listeners who were unimpressed by February's rock-infused Rebirth.

I Am Not a Human Being's best moments defy easy carbon dating. The title track is a spacey, Rick Rubin-esque mélange of guitar stabs, power chords, and shifting drums produced by Infamous and Drew Correa. Wayne sounds ecstatic and the punchlines pour. "Y'all a bunch of squares like a motherfucking grid," he giggles. His growing mastery of sexy slow jams produces the enticing "With You," which features a moaning soul loop and hook from protégé Drake; on "I'm Single," Wayne languidly dreams of escaping a combative relationship with a one-night fling. "I cut my phones off, both lines," he purrs over detuned strings and sparse, drunken snares. "It's 'bout to get nasty, pork rinds."

Though this is a flawed and scattershot project, Wayne remains an artist who makes music like a pâtissier--his songs are frivolous, delicious, and meant to be relished for just a moment. Indulge in the unfiltered humor, the dense, stream-of-consciousness rambling, the gleeful personality, and simply file it away. As his endless catalogue illustrates, Wayne is nothing if not generous. There will always be more.

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09/27/2010
$12.99

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And here's a no-budget video for one of the worst songs from Lil Wayne's otherwise stellar 2009 mixtape No Ceilings. The "I'm Single" clip stars the currently incarcerated Wayne, a dark-haired, voluptuous woman as his main chick, and another dark-haired, voluptuous woman as his side chick. It was directed by DJ Scoob Doo, who should probably stick to DJ-ing. Watch as much of it as you want below (via MTV):

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TMZ reports that earlier today in Manhattan, Lil Wayne was sentenced to one year of protective custody in New York City jails, after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in October. According to MTV, it's likely that Wayne will only serve eight months with good behavior.

The sentencing comes after two previous sentencing dates were pushed back thanks to a dental emergency and a courthouse fire. Last night, Wayne could be seen bowling with some of his Young Money crew on Ustream; tonight, he won't have that option. (We doubt he'll be allowed to use Twitter in jail. His last post before sentencing: "Law is mind without reason. .................I'll return.")

Even though we'll probably see Wayne going Planters in front of many green-screened backgrounds in music videos in the coming months, his unbridled spontaneity will be missed.

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Photo by Ryan Dombal

Yesterday, a fire at Manhattan's Criminal Courthouse caused Lil Wayne to stay out of prison for just a little longer. Wayne was supposed to turn himself in for sentencing on gun charges and begin serving his year-long sentence. A few weeks earlier, a dental emergency forced a judge to push back the sentencing, and Wayne went through eight root canals, which honestly doesn't sound that much better than prison.

But now Wayne's sentencing has been rescheduled yet again. MTV reports that his case has been rescheduled for March 8, next Monday. So expect a tidal wave or a plague of dragons to hit New York on Sunday.

Last night, Wayne took advantage of his unexpected freedom, popping up at Jay-Z's show at Madison Square Garden. Wayne, along with fellow Young Money rappers Drake and Nicki Minaj, showed up during special guest Young Jeezy's portion of the show, as MTV reports. Wayne attacked his verse on the Drake/Jeezy collab "I'm Goin' In" with all the energy of someone who was supposed to be in prison that day but who was onstage at MSG instead.

You can watch a pretty awesome fan video after the jump, via Nah Right. Hear the upper-deck crowd erupt when Wayne charges onstage.

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Thanks to a mysterious fire at Manhattan's Criminal Courthouse that left eight people with minor injuries, Lil Wayne's sentencing on gun charges has been postponed once again. (The Daily Swarm, via The New York Times, AP.)

It was only a few weeks ago that Wayne's original sentencing date was pushed back thanks to emergency dental care, i.e. eight root canals. One thing is clear: If there is a God, he does not want Lil Wayne to go to jail. No word on Wayne's rescheduled sentencing date just yet-- at least he can shoot a few dozen more music videos before going in now.

Weezy's "Fireman" clip is embedded below:

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Photo by Ryan Dombal

Last week, Lil Wayne's impending prison sentence was postponed due to his need for immediate dental surgery. And while the delay sure sounded like some legal loop-holing of the highest order, it turns out Wayne's oral situation really was in need of some serious care.

According to TMZ, the rapper underwent eight (!) root canals during an eight-hour procedure. And that's not all. A Miami dentist also fine-tuned Wayne's $150,000 diamond-encrusted chompers, redid and added some tooth implants, and repaired what's left of Wayne's original set of teeth. That's a lotta laughing gas.

Wayne is now due to head to prison March 2. It's all ice cream and smoothies until then.

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This, ladies and gentlemen, is how you make a psychedelic video.

Both Erykah Badu and Lil Wayne are put through a fuzzy kaleidoscope filter and proceed to mug for the tripped-out lens here. The clip is for their new track "Jump Up in the Air and Stay There", which is not on Erykah's forthcoming LP, New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh, but is phenomenal nonetheless.

Fact: The only thing better than a video with Erykah and Wayne is a video with a whole bunch of Erykahs and Waynes.

Watch the video at Erykah's site or below:

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Lil Wayne was supposed to start a year-long prison term today, after pleading guilty to a 2007 attempted weapons possession charge. That didn't happen.

According to an MTV report, Wayne's sentencing has been delayed until March 2 because the rapper has a cracked tooth and needs dental surgery. He's set to get the oral malfunction fixed in Miami February 12.

This is amazing.

Wayne's dental troubles are pretty well documented. A Blender cover story from 2008 featured a scene in which Wayne is hit with a righteous toothache in the studio, causing him to freestyle: "I got a toothache/ The size o' Virginia/ I got a tooothaaache/ And it hurts like a muh-fucka!" The article goes on to describe Wayne's kitchen thusly: "There is no food in sight besides candy. The counter is crowded with Blow Pops, Sour Patch Kids, Snickers, Milky Ways, Dots, Skittles." (And that grill can't make flossing any easier.)

The lesson here is clear: If you (perhaps) bite too hard on a gobstobber and crack your tooth, you, too, might temporarily escape a jail sentence.

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Well, it's that time. Last year, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted gun ownership. This morning, he'll be formally sentenced to a year in prison, based on a deal he struck with Manhattan prosecutors. After he officially enters his guilty plea this morning, he's expected to turn himself in and immediately begin his prison term, as MTV explains.

That MTV piece explains what could face Wayne in prison: He won't have to cut his hair, he won't get to keep an iPod, he may have to serve some work duties, and he may or may not be transferred into an upstate New York facility. With good behavior, he could be out in as little as eight months. Still: Prison. Lets hope that Saints Super Bowl victory keeps him going for a while.

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He really went ahead and did it: Lil Wayne finally releases his unlikely, unqualified, and quite unbelievable rock album. [Ryan Dombal]

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Photo by Ryan Dombal

The original "We Are the World" video is still amazing to watch-- you don't get to see Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and, um, Dan Aykroyd singing next to each other every day. And the forthcoming remake of the 1985 USA for Africa all-star song, to benefit Haiti, is looking to be just as star-studded.

Here's the head-spinning list of contributors, according to MTV: Kanye West, Brian Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Gladys Knight, Barbra Streisand, Pink, Nick Jonas, LL Cool J, Robin Thicke, Celine Dion, Akon, Rob Thomas, Wyclef Jean, Jeff Bridges, Vince Vaughn, Jordin Sparks, Good Charlotte's Madden brothers, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Keri Hilson, Jamie Foxx, Tyrese, Katharine McPhee, Sean Garrett, will.i.am, Carlos Santana, Melanie Fiona, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton, Jason Mraz, Busta Rhymes, Nicole Scherzinger, Nicole Richie, Usher, Julianne Hough, Raphael Saadiq, Zac Brown, India.Arie, Randy Jackson, Musiq Soulchild, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Fonzworth Bentley, Kid Cudi, Iyaz, Bizzy Bone, Nipsey Hussle, Al Jardine, Trey Songz, Faith Evans, Mya...

...and Lil Wayne, who will reportedly recreate Bob Dylan's part from the original (which comes in at the 3:45 mark).

No word on who does the Huey Lewis part.

Talking to MTV about his involvement in the song, Wayne-- who isn't exactly known for hitting notes-- joked, "I don't know how to sing...I was like, 'What am I doing here? You guys are real good comedians.'" He added, "After I did Bob Dylan's part, it kind of hit me that I guess this is way more important than I could ever imagine." When asked if he thought he bettered Dylan's original performance he said, "Hell no."

Wayne also told MTV, "I think it's amazing what's been done for Haiti ... but I also think it's amazing what hasn't been done for New Orleans." Considering this and the rapper's eviscerating, socially-aware brand new leaked track "Fuck Today"-- "Tired of the same shit/ Don't know who to blame, shit/ And we knew a black president wouldn't change shit"-- Wayne is on his old-school Ice Cube right now.

The video for the song-- which was shot in zeitgeist-y 3D-- will debut during on February 12, per MTV's report.

Here's the original "We Are the World" video:

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02/02/2010
$12.99

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Within the past two years, Lil Wayne has single-handedly become the centre of rap's orbit, with a flash of his tight, shiny grin and an affinity for brilliant, off-the-dome raps. On seventh studio album Rebirth, Weezy trades his usual brash hip-hop...

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When Billboard first reported on Erykah Badu's forthcoming album New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh, due March 30 from Universal Motown, the magazine said it might include a track called "Jump in the Air and Stay There" that would include nine rappers, including Lil Wayne and Andre 3000.

Plans changed, though, when an early version leaked. Now the song has been bumped from the album and relegated to web-only bonus track status. But according to a press release, the first version of the track, that features only Wayne and neo-soul veteran Bilal, is just the first of 10 versions of the "Jump in the Air and Stay There", so maybe we'll get to hear it with all those other rappers after all!

On Friday, Badu posted the track to her website (where she also lists the announced release date as a "maybe"), and you can click below to hear the stream. Badu produced the song along with RC Williams and Jahborn, and it samples Parliament Funkadelic's "Hydraulic Pump".

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The Carter's much-delayed reincarnation proves rocking isn't as easy as he thinks

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