Lil Wayne, Hip-Hop’s best-selling artist of 2008, is set to celebrate his 26th birthday with a landmark concert in the Bahamas.

The September 26 “Poppin’ Bottles” show will be co-headlined by international reggae legend Buju Banton and will feature a host of Bahamian talent, such as Daddy Whites, Golden Child, and Bobo Ken.

The event is the brainchild of Lisa “Red” Tootle of Red City Entertainment, who promises to showcase a melting pot of the best in Hip-Hop, dancehall, and reggae talent in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

“This concert is quite a fusion. You have one of the leading phenomena of reggae in Buju Banton, who is a legend in his own right, and then you’re taking the number one Hip-Hop artist in the world right now and you’re putting them on the same stage,” Tootle told the Nassau Guardian. “I think that in itself puts our concert above all others, and I say that with authority because I’ve been in and out of the Bahamas for the past 8 to 10 years and I’ve been to many, many concerts.” The concert is planned to be an all night celebration, with Wayne not taking the stage until well past midnight. “Wayne is expected to be on stage by 1 or 2A M and from what I understand Buju is just so excited about being a part of this show that he is expected to come out with a crazy performance,” Tootle explained. “So it will be quite a night.”

Wayne’s pre-party will be held September 25 at Club Erupt on Elizabeth Avenue. The “Poppin’ Bottles” concert starts Friday September 26 at 10 PM, located at the Bristol Wines and Spirits Grounds.

A separate “birthday bash” for the New Orleans superstar is set for September 27 at the Marley Resort in Cable Beach.

cred: AHH

Lil Wayne may have missed a recent court date in Arizona because of his dentist, but the 2008 Video Music Awards weren’t going to keep him from making a scheduled court hearing in New York early Monday afternoon.

Fresh from his VMA performance and Moonman win for Best Hip-Hop Video in Hollywood Sunday night, Wayne appeared in a Manhattan courtroom for a hearing related to his 2007 arrest on a single gun charge.

According to Wayne’s attorney, Stacey Richman, the rapper flew overnight to make Monday’s hearing, which was continued until Wednesday.

“He is the utmost, consummate professional,” Richman said of Wayne’s red-eye trip to New York. “He recognizes his entertainment obligations, his business obligations and his obligations to the court.”

When asked about his VMA afterparty plans by MTV News on Saturday night, Wayne did not mention the court date.

“You know me, I don’t really trip off the parties and stuff,” he said. “I may pop up at a party or two. Tonight I’ll be in the studio working on some stuff.”

Wayne was arrested in July 2007 after police stopped his tour bus and, during a subsequent search of the vehicle, uncovered a .40-caliber pistol, for which he was charged with one count of criminal possession of a weapon. The arrest came just hours after Wayne made what he labeled his New York debut, with a raucous show at the Beacon Theatre.

The “suppression” hearing, which aims to determine whether the stop-and-search of Wayne’s tour bus and the subsequent interviews taken by police “were properly conducted,” Richman said, before going on to explain the reason the case was continued. “There was direct testimony of one of the detectives [involved in Wayne's arrest], and then the cross-examination of the detective was begun. But then the district attorney wasn’t available in the afternoon, so we broke until Wednesday.

Lil Wayne is not content with his blockbuster 2008, as the superstar MC is already brainstorming plans for the upcoming year.

In an exclusive interview with BBC’s 1Xtra’s DJ Semtex, Wayne first reflected on his phenomenal 2008 year, starting with his favorite freestyle over his signature song “A Milli.”

“I’m not gonna front, everyone killed it. I haven’t heard a wack [freestyle] yet,” Wayne disclosed. “[But] I got to say that Jay-Z’s in the best version next to Lil Mama, she murdered it. And I got the opportunity to watch her do that live.”

Wayne also detailed that the beat for “Dr. Carter” was originally created for Jay-Z, but was then switched to him after his verses impressed producer Swizz Beatz.

“He had it for Jay, and he told me ‘listen, I got this record for Jay, but I just want to see what you can do to it,’” Wayne revealed. “After he heard what I done to it, the record was for me. It wasn’t no ‘I beat Jay out,’ I just did enough where I kept the record. That’s real, ask Swizz (laughs).”

Seeking to grow his ever expanding collaboration catalogue, Wayne has his aim set on two MCs: underground sensation Jay Electronica and dormant superstar Eminem.

“Jay [Electronica] is crazy,” Wayne stated. “He probably don’t even know that I know his s**t, but that boy, he’s cold.”

Wayne reviewed that he had reached out to Eminem before Tha Carter III dropped in hopes of a joint song, but received no response from the Detroit native’s management.

Now 2 million record sales later, Wayne is more forceful and direct with his request to Slim Shady.

“I’m aight with the raps, it’s ok to get on a song. I’m calling you out!” Wayne quipped. “Come on out. I’m not calling you out to diss me because I can’t f*ck with you. But come do a song. Please…with three e’s.”

Moving forward to 2009, Wayne is excited about his upstart label Young Money Entertainment and his young, hungry roster of artists.

“I’m so happy about my label. I feel like a basketball team right before the season and I’m glad about all of my players. We ready,” Wayne stated. “[I have] Tyga, Jae Millz, Nicki Minaj, Bobby Valentino, [and] maybe Lil Scrappy in a minute. We doing it big.”

Confirming his work on a new album entitled Tha Carter IV, Wayne promises that he’ll continue to improve as an artist.

“Carter IV? It’s gonna be crazy because you know, I’m only getting better. Even though I’m getting older I’m only getting better,” he reasoned. “I’m in my prime right now and my light is shining very. Very bright right now and I know that. So I’m gonna take advantage of that. And I promise you, I will never fail you.”

Tha Carter III is available in stores now.

credit:ahh

Lil Wayne fans are Lil Wayne fans to the 10th power: The dude has a fanatical following. At his headlining shows, the audience members can recount the story behind every one of his many tattoos, tell you the number of diamonds in his teeth and, of course, recite his most obscure underground lyrics. They fervently cheer for his every move onstage, even when he sips from one of his red plastic cups.

The hip-hop world has been screaming for years that Weezy is the hottest MC in the game (he even earned that title in our first “Hottest MCs in the Game” competition, although he slipped to #3 this year, possibly due to the delayed release of his latest LP, Tha Carter III), and of course, that album was the first since 2005 to sell a million copies in a single week. But still, Wayne is not a household name along the lines of a Jay, Kanye, 50 or Eminem. Now Weezy gets the chance to bring his charismatic showmanship to arguably the biggest stage of his career: the MTV Video Music Awards.

Will a memorable performance at the VMAs help catapult Wayne to true superstardom?

“The energy should be his highest ever, now that he’s the #1 dude in the game,” said Datwon Thomas, editor in chief of XXL magazine, which dressed Weezy as an astronaut for its current issue. “It would be kinda cool if he came out in the Moonman suit, like he did for our cover!”

King magazine Editor in Chief Jermaine Hall agreed that the VMAs could be a turning point for Weezy. “[It's] a huge stage for him. He’s under more pressure because it’s the type of show that speaks directly to the consumers that put him over a million,” he said. “It’s a perfect opportunity to break a third single to his audience, or give the T-Pain song ['Got Money'] some more legs, so I imagine his show will be over the top.”

In 2007, Wayne had just a few days’ notice to write a verse for his appearance with Nicole Scherzinger at the VMA preshow, and he’ll also be teaming up with Kid Rock for a performance during this year’s show.

But the big difference this year could be in his stage presence. Wayne has performed so much in the past year, evolving from the spirited rap stallion who ran around the stage with the Hot Boys to the rock-and-roll wizard of swagger we know today.

New York radio host Miss Info has witnessed that transformation. “The learning curve that Weezy is on in terms of his lyricism from then until now was just unreal,” she said. “Or maybe we all missed the potential, because he hadn’t developed a personality big enough to match it. Now … Weezy is able to communicate a total package to his fans. There’s a voice, a delivery, a style, a look and a larger-than-life, not-of-this-planet personality all working together. It’s like a one-man Team Weezy.”

Wayne’s not afraid to appeal to fans of all genres, mastering the art of crossover. One minute he’ll slay hip-hop purists via spontaneous freestyle as metaphors roll off his tongue with precision and fluidity. Then he’ll pick up the guitar and play a whole song.

“Wayne has a rock-star element to his stage show,” Hall said. “He’s probably one of the few MCs who can rock a song a cappella and [have] the audience feel a connection to him. Not comparing him to [Mick] Jagger or any of those dudes, but those rock dudes can tell the band to chill, and rock a solo, and the audience throws a lighter in the air and enjoys it all the same … old or new song.”

Thomas agreed that Weezy gives something extra with each performance: “He isn’t just rapping to the crowd; he is performing his song for them. Facial expressions, vocal inflections and the like help him convey his outer-space lyrics to us mere mortals.”

Wayne’s otherworldly unpredictability will be key during this year’s VMAs. Everyone will want to know if he can condense his skills into a mini-set that we’ll remember five years from now. Given his diverse arsenal of techniques to kill the crowd, it seems very likely that he can. And let’s not forget, there are so many records on Tha Carter III that a national television audience has never seen him perform, he’ll have plenty of choices — from the frenetic “Phone Home” to the pensive “Tie My Hands.”

No matter what Wayne has planned for the night, some people would like to see him go off script. “There are the iconic [awards show] moments that are meticulously planned and flawlessly executed,” Miss Info said, “and then there are the iconic moments that result from genius and chaos (rest in peace, ODB). The best Lil Wayne moment would be a spontaneous rejection of what has been meticulously planned. Weezy is already booked to perform, and his set has already been planned, so that’s half of the winning formula right there. Can’t wait for showtime.”

credit: MTV

Contrary to several internet reports, Lil’ Wayne’s daughter was not killed on Sunday night (August 10), the rapper confirmed. 

Several websites reported early Monday afternoon (August 11) that eight-year-old Reginae Carter had been killed in a traffic accident.

Despite the absence of details of the reported accident, the news spread quickly, prompting fans to offer their condolences via Wayne’s MySpace page.

“It has come to my attention that there are recent reports circulating regarding my daughter. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who are genuinely concerned about Reginae and her safety,” Lil Wayne told AllHipHop.com. “Please allow me to dispel any rumors or speculations and report that my daughter is alive, healthy and surrounded by family who care and love her dearly. The rumors are completely false and unfounded; neither Reginae nor any other member of my family has been involved in any car accident. My family and I truly appreciate the concern and support shown to us.”

Buried among the comments, however, was a statement posted Sunday night by someone claiming to be Reginae’s aunt, who stated that the little girl, who is often seen alongside her superstar dad on red carpets and award show stages, was “tucked away in her bed at this very moment, trying to get past the hurt this ugliness has caused her and our family.”

“I am pleased to inform you that this report is false,” the poster went on to say. “It is merely a rumor started by someone who obviously is miserable in their own skin that they would even have the notion to attack a child.”

props to allhiphop for the above article!

Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop” has earned the record of the most popular music video on Music Choice ever and the network, along with Universal Music Group, is celebrating the achievement.

“Lollipop” racked up a record-breaking one million views, two weeks straight on the multi-platform video and music network, according to a press release. Weezy is the first ever to hit those kind of numbers since Music Choice launched its free Video On Demand Music Network in late 2004.

To celebrate the milestone, Music Choice produced a special original show entitled “Lil’ Wayne-A Milli” which is airing exclusively on its On Demand network thru August 17th. The show features music industry insiders and fans alike, sharing their thoughts on the New Orleans sensation. The artist himself will also give viewers a candid look into Wayne as he shares his personal story of a fledgling artist that reached superstardom.

“Lil’ Wayne’s accomplishments on Music Choice speak to the power of his artistry and the relevance of his music in the marketplace,” said Damon Williams, VP of Programming for Music Choice. “Wayne has done an incredible job of consistently delivering what today’s hip-hop fans want. The milestone of realizing over ten million views for a single video speaks to the power of Lil’ Wayne’s fan base. Lil’ Wayne is the best in the game.”

cred: sOHH

Lil Wayne keeps his streak going selling another 120,000+ copies of The Carter III to remain atop the number one position on the billboard charts.

He has been Number 1 for the past 3 of 5 weeks since releasing his album.

Congrats Weezy!

Below are some excerpts from a recent Robin Thicke interview.

SR: What artists are you listening to right now?

Robin Thicke: Just Lil’ Wayne really.  I’m always writing. I wrote a screenplay, I really love to write.  When I go out I listen to hip hop all the time, but besides that, when I’m writing I listen to jazz.

SR: You’ve worked with Usher and Lil’ Wayne a lot, do you feel they are misunderstood?

Robin Thicke: No I think that they are pretty much understood. I think everyone knows Usher is a super talent and a really great person, I don’t think there is any misunderstanding there. I think everybody knows Wayne is a genius and sometimes geniuses are made in all sorts of shapes and sizes and craziness. Whatever experiences he’s going through he’s trying to live his life to the fullest and create something and leave something behind. I don’t see any lie in either one of them.

SR: Who do you think is the King of R&B for our generation?

Robin Thicke: I don’t see R&B as a category. First of all nobody in R&B is singing about the blues, nobody has got the blues, they all have money and fame and they are not having any trouble getting girls.  For me, I make soul music. My music ain’t all about the blues either. I think that to pigeonhole that kind of stuff when hip hop is pop music. I mean what is Rihanna, is she  Soul and R&B? What is anybody anyway? For me, people say what about where music is and this and that? That’s not my job. I enjoy Chris Brown, I enjoy Rihanna, I enjoy Usher and  Kanye West and Lil Wayne. All that music is good music. It’s not everybody’s job to make all kind of music. Not everybody is Bob Dylan and not everybody is Michael Jackson, let’s just enjoy them for what they are.

Read more »

It looks like Lil Wayne is about to be in the news again. And for the first time in over two months it’s got nothing to do with his new CD that’s still blazing the billboard charts.

Rapper Lil Wayne returned to the top of the U.S. pop album chart Wednesday, ending the two-week reign of Coldplay.

Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” sold 156,000 copies during the week ended July 6, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and has now sold 1.68 million in four weeks of release.