1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: Disgraceland is a production of double Elvis. Stories about Lil 2 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: Wayne are insane. He attempted suicide by shooting himself in 3 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: the chest when he was just twelve years old. His 4 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: stepfather was violently murdered. He was a child star, and later, 5 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: while one of the biggest stars on the planet, he 6 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: was imprisoned for a year's time. Lil Wayne was raised 7 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: on the streets of New Orleans during a point in 8 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: that city's history when the murder rates skyrocketed in neighborhoods 9 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: were terrorized by kill squads patrolling NOLA with murder blazonly 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: spray painted across gang members' vehicles to leave no doubt 11 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: to their intentions. Lil Wayne overcame all of that and 12 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: more to become one of the most successful hip hop 13 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: artists of all time, an artist with more hits than Elvis, Yes, Elvis, 14 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: and an artist that to this day still makes great music. 15 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: That music I played for you at the top of 16 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: the show that wasn't great music. That was a preset 17 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: loop from my mellotron called Coleco Sneak MK one. I 18 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: played you that loop because I can't afford the rights 19 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 1: to like a G six by Far East Movement featuring 20 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: the Cataracts and dev And why would I play you 21 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: that specific slice of subserve sip and cheese? Could I 22 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: afford it? Because that was the number one song in 23 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: America on November fourth, twenty ten, And that was the 24 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: day Lil Wayne was released from Rikers Island prison for 25 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: gun charges, proving once again the Little Wayne cannot be 26 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: counted out on this episode, an attempted suicide, a violent. 27 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 2: Murder, a year in Rikers and the irrepressible Little Wayne. 28 00:01:51,120 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: I'm Jake Brennan and this this disgraceland hip hop phenon, 29 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne was glued to his television set. His Boston 30 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: Red Sox were nearly dead bottom of the night, three 31 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: outs away from a humiliating American League Championship Series sweep 32 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: at the hands of their hated rivals, the vaunted New 33 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: York Yankees. Yankees closer Marianna Riverer, with his deadly cut fastball, 34 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: was more of an assassin. There was a little hope, 35 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: but then a leadof lock to Red Sox seven hole 36 00:02:52,840 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 1: hitter Kevin Malar, and suddenly there was life life for 37 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: future Red Sox fan Lil Wayne too. Even though he 38 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: lived in one of the deadliest cities in the world, 39 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: New Orleans, except his name wasn't yet Lo Wayne. It 40 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: was Dwayne Michael Carter Junior. And he wasn't even close 41 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: to being the international hip hop multi platinum sensation he 42 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: would become in the early twenty first century. How he 43 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: became a Red Sox fan, the world still isn't sure. 44 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: But back in the early nineties, he was just another 45 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: kid knocking around New Orleans, the home of bounce music, 46 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: a speaker knocking form of hip hop that was uniquely Southern, 47 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: up tempo, big bass, brass band hooks, marty garras, Indian chants, 48 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: call and response choruses, party rhymes, street smart rhymes, booty raps, 49 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: the torque, the clap. But lyrics about the many glories 50 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: of the many fine asses out shaking it on New 51 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: Orleans dance floors soon gave way to lyrics more reflective 52 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: of the violent reality encompassing the city. In nineteen ninety four, 53 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: in New Orleans, the murder rate reached a staggering four 54 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty four people. One of the unfortunate victims 55 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: was thirty two year old Kim Groves. She had recently 56 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: filed a complaint against New Orleans police officer Lend Davis. 57 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: She saw Davis pistol with a nine year old in 58 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: her neighborhood. A nine year old Kim couldn't look the 59 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: other way, so she went to the cops. A day later, 60 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 1: her body was found a block from her home in 61 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: the Lower ninth Ward, with the thirty two caliber police 62 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: issued bullet in her skull. That's just one example of 63 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: the extreme violence and prevailing lawlessness of New Orleans. In 64 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: the early nineties, gang violence was sweeping New Orleans right 65 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: alongside the consistent spread of crack cocaine. Notorious METS gang 66 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: members terrorized New Orleans citizens with their murderous ways, rolling 67 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: through the city in their infamous black pickup truck brazenly 68 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: spray painted with murder across the side. The kill truck 69 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: was used for just that, for killing. Whenever you saw 70 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: the truck out on the streets, you knew a body 71 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 1: was about to Dropbody's dropping was a regular occurrence, and 72 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: the rising New Orleans murder rate of the early nineties 73 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: spawned a strange T shirt ritual. Everywhere you'd look, you'd 74 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: see the T shirts of the dead on the backs 75 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: of locals remembrance teas printed up to honor the victims 76 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: of gang violence with their pictures, usually some sort of 77 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: biblical quote in a parting message from loved ones in 78 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: memory of Key Loo g rest in Peace unl V 79 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: Yellow Boy Forever a G. Pimp Daddy, Key Loo g 80 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: un l V Yellow Boy Pimp Daddy. Three of New 81 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: Orleans rising hip hop stars, each ascending in accordance with 82 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 1: both the rise of Bouds music and the New Orleans 83 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: murder rate starbaund but Street Born UNLV. Yellow Boy minced 84 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: no words about where he was from or what was 85 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,359 Speaker 1: on his mind, like most people in New Orleans at 86 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: the time murder. In one of his early rhymes on 87 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: him in the River, Yellow unambiguously threatened fellow rapper Mystical's life, 88 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: pledging to dump his corpse in a record label owner's backyard. 89 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,720 Speaker 1: Yellow was also remembered to have shot up the house 90 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: of Cash Money Records label boss Brian Williams aka Birdman, 91 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: supposedly going as far as to Pistol with him. Yellow 92 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: Boy died unexpectedly of gunshot wounds at twenty three years old, 93 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 1: sitting in his car. Pimped ad he met a similar fate, 94 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 1: murdered at eighteen, shot in cold blood key Log, the 95 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: same shot in his house. He was only twenty. They 96 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: would all die, but Dwayne Michael Carter would live, but 97 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: not without pain. His father split when he was two 98 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: years old. He dealt with it from before he could remember. 99 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: Wasn't so bad though. He and his mother had Rabbit, 100 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: Reginald McDonald, his stepdad. Rabbit held it down on the 101 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,720 Speaker 1: home front and stood tall out on the block. Every 102 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: morning Dwayne, who is now calling himself Wayne, dropped the 103 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: d protest of his father's abandonment his father, who shared 104 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 1: the same name with him. Every morning Wayne's mom would 105 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 1: get up and go to work as a cook. Wayne 106 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: would get up and ditch school and hit the corner, 107 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: and Rabbit would get up and hit the corner too, 108 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: a different corner with the ogs, while Wayne kept his 109 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,239 Speaker 1: corner with the young geez. The message, however, was clear, 110 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: Like stepfather, like son, Wayne and Rabbit connected. Rabbit was 111 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: only in his mid twenties while Wayne was entering high school, 112 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: and the generation gap barely registered. Neither did the notion 113 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: of being a child. Regardless, Rabbit was a strong parental 114 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: influence on little Wayne. They had a connection. Wayne had 115 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: someone to look up to, to live up to, and 116 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: perhaps more important, someone to look out for him on 117 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: the streets. But that wouldn't last. The truck rolled up 118 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: on Rabbit fast, just like the jump out boys from 119 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: seventeenth in High Grove. Whoever these dudes were, they weren't 120 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: fucking around. Before Rabbit knew it, the dudes in the 121 00:07:57,600 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: truck were out on the curb outside the club with him. 122 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: Their hands were on him quickly, and they shoved him 123 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: in the front seat, jumped in behind him, slammed the 124 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: door shut, screeched off, hid a nearly abandoned gas station 125 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: a couple blocks away, threw Rabbit out unto the ground, 126 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: and pumped seven shots into him. He couldn't take all 127 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: of them if you could. Rabbit died instantly for what 128 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: reason no one knew, especially not little Wayne Carter, who 129 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: not only lost his dad but now just lost his stepdad. 130 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: Wayne poured his pain into his new passion, rapping. He 131 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: put together rhymes in his head. He saw it as 132 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: a possible path, if not a way out, then at 133 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: least a way towards something, and any path involving hip 134 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: hop in New Orleans in the early nineties went nowhere 135 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: without first going through the doors of Cash Money Records. 136 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne somehow hustled up label owner Birdman William's home 137 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: phone number and started freestyling raps onto his voicemail machine, 138 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,079 Speaker 1: and this led to an invite to Cash Money's offices. 139 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: Wayne's teenage charisma and confidence landed him a gig as 140 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: Birdman's errand boy, and soon enough his talent as an 141 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: MC despite his young age, led to a record deal 142 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: with Cash Money. His dreams were coming true, but his 143 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: mom would have none of it. Hip hop was as 144 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: violent as the corner in New Orleans. It was all 145 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: the same scene, the same violent scene. His mom laid 146 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: down the law. No more rapping, no more Birdman, no 147 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: more dreams of a hip hop career. She had a 148 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 1: dead boyfriend and wasn't about to have a dead son. 149 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: It was crushing. Wayne loved his mom, but he loved 150 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: hip hop, and now it was being taken away from him, 151 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: just like his stepdad had been and his dad before that. 152 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: Wayne was miserable, angry, confused in New Orleans, a city 153 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 1: where it seemed the only way out was in a 154 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: body bag. Wayne had found a way potentially in hip 155 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: hop via his talent, and now that dream was crushed, 156 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: he wasn't going to just stand by and let that happened. 157 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: He went hunting for the gun. Rabbit's gun, the blue 158 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: steel Taurus nine millimeter. He found it in his mother's bedroom. 159 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: He had it back to his own room, jacked the 160 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: volume on his stereo. The speaker's bled with the scorched 161 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: feedback of his favorite band, Nirvana. He raised the pistol 162 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: to his chest, pushed the barrel hard into his skin, steady. 163 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: The finger on the trigger, closed his eyes and pulled. 164 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 3: Remarkably. 165 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: The Red Sox were back down by one. In the 166 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: bottom of the ninth, Speedy Dave Roberts entered to pinch 167 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: run for Boston. 168 00:10:57,920 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 3: Bill Miller was at the plate. 169 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 2: Roberts leaned into a big lead off for his base, stealing. 170 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 3: On the mind of Socks fans. 171 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 2: Miller took the pitch. Roberts took off for a second. 172 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 2: The Yankees throw from the plate was late late late 173 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,319 Speaker 2: late wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait 174 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 2: wait wait wait. 175 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 1: Late late late late late late lately, and the Red 176 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: Sox were still alive. So too was Lil Wayne, even 177 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: though he just shot himself. He was just twelve years old, 178 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: lying on his bedroom floor with a bullet in his chest, 179 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,319 Speaker 1: alive but barely. New Orleans PD were on the scene 180 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: before the paramedics. Four cops entered the bedroom. Three of 181 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: them immediately started searching for drugs and weapons, ignoring the 182 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 1: near dead kid on the ground with a fresh hole 183 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: in his chest struggling to breathe. But one cop, the 184 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: one they called Uncle Bob, got down on his knees 185 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: with Little Wayne began comforting him while sussing out the damage. 186 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: One of the other cops radioed in for staff on 187 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,719 Speaker 1: the ambulance. He told Uncle Bob to chill, the cavalry 188 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: was on the way. Uncle Bob told him the fuck 189 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: off and heroically picked Lil Wayne up and carried him 190 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 1: out to his own off duty vehicle, placing him gently 191 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: in the back seat and high tailing it off to 192 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: the hospital on his own. Any further delay waiting on 193 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,319 Speaker 1: paramedics would have likely ended with Lil Wayne dying before 194 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: even making it to the er. The doctors barely saved 195 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: his life. Lil Wayne would not soon forget Uncle Bob. 196 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:30,319 Speaker 1: Years later, on stage at the twenty eighteen BET Hip 197 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: Hop Awards, Lil Wayne, while now a star, accepting his 198 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:37,319 Speaker 1: career recognition I Am hip Hop Award, told the world 199 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: about Uncle Bob. He brought me to the hospital. He 200 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,320 Speaker 1: refused to wait. He kicked in the doors, say you 201 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 1: got to do whatever you've got to do and make 202 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: sure this child make it. Not only did he refuse 203 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 1: to sit, not only didn't he give me to the 204 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: doctors and just leave, he stayed and made sure I 205 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 1: made it. After his botch's suicide attempt, Wayne committed himself 206 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: to hip hop. Mom still didn't like it, but she'd 207 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,679 Speaker 1: rather have him alive and rapping than dead. He'd got 208 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 1: the hook up with cash Money Young, but label boss 209 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: Birdman knew that such raw talent had to be groomed. 210 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne had been rapping since he was nine and 211 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: was signed to twelve, but Birdman was in no rush 212 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: to put him on the mic. Lil Wayne chomped at 213 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 1: the bit, performing verses on command, seeking features, collaborators, anything 214 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: to get over and out of the streets. There were 215 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: still guns at home, and that was common sense in 216 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: his neighborhood, Hollygrove, and when his mom caught him packing 217 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: a gun to take to school. She stopped fighting him. 218 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,439 Speaker 1: He could spend his days of cash Money instead of school, 219 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: and there was no resisting it. Music was school now, 220 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: music was life, and Birdman would now fill in the 221 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: role of father figure, guiding Wayne to perform a featured 222 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: verse on tracks with several groups within Cash Money until 223 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: together they settled on a winning formula, The Hot Boys, 224 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne, Juvenile Turk, and BG, backed by Cash Money, 225 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: Secret Sauce production by Whispers Sir Manny Fresh. The Bounce 226 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: inflicted the southern rap that Hop Boys dropped on their 227 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: debut album in nineteen ninety seven, Get It How You Live, 228 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: lived up to Cash Money's rep as New Orleans escape Route. 229 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 1: The record was a regional smash and charted nationally at 230 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: twenty two on the Billboard RB Hip Hop Chart. For 231 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: the first time, fourteen year old Little Wayne could see 232 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: light at the end of the tunnel. Except as a miner, 233 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: Wayne's deal with Cash Money was a deal with his 234 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 1: mom too. She had a co sign his contracts and 235 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: controlled his finances, so even with his advance and features 236 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: under his belt, he was still on the corners, hustling weed, 237 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: cocaine and crack for spending money long after he'd signed. 238 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 1: The streets had a gravity to them. They rooted Little 239 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: Wayne's fearlessness and the violence all around him made him hungry. 240 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: He made himself a promise he'd know he got out 241 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: for real, we could buy his MoMA house. Wayne gripped 242 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: his forearm, picked at his elbow with frayed nerves. He 243 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: swayed back and forth, and the hot lights beat down 244 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: on him from above. He was backstage, leaning first to 245 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: one side, then the other, slick with sweat from just 246 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: performing Swagger Like Us with Ti jay Z, Kanye and Mia, 247 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: but now they were reading off his category. It all 248 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: came down to this February eighth, two thousand and nine, 249 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: the fifty first Grammy Awards. But Wayne had bought his 250 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: mom a house long ago. Cash Money had fulfilled his promise, 251 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: and his strategy of always being available for that next 252 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: feature paid off. By the time of his first solo album, 253 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: The Block Is Hot, in ninety nine, anticipation had built, 254 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: and the debut went platinum. His series of albums titled 255 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: The Carter beginning in two thousand and four, had each 256 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: blown up bigger than the last, and he was now 257 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: cash Money's signature artist with all the club that came 258 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: with it. Tonight was his coronation. The Carter three was 259 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: nominated for six Grammys. It was a force of nature, 260 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: just like Lol Wayne. It had debuted at number one 261 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: on the Billboard two hundred, sold a million copies in 262 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: its first week of release, closed out the year on 263 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: its way to being certified triple platinum, and produced four singles, 264 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 1: including A Millie and Lollipop, which had already won Best 265 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song. On this evening, 266 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: will I M And T Payne were presenting Best Rap 267 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: Album Lou Wayne was up against jay Z nas Ti 268 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: in Lube Fiasco, a Murderer's Row of two thousand and nine. 269 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: MC's Wayne was only a few years from surpassing Elvis 270 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: Presley as the male artist with the most entries on 271 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: the Billboard Hot one hundred, but in two thousand and nine, 272 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: winning Best Rap Album would be the crown jewel. T 273 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: Payne read his name and Wayne ran up on the stage, 274 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: jumped into the air and knocked his heels together. His friends, family, 275 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: and collaborators flooded the stage. It was his ultimate triumph 276 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: so far, but it was bittersweet. After so many years 277 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: on the come up, Wayne thought he had finally escaped 278 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 1: the specter of street trouble. But beyond the glamour of 279 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: Grammy Night, Wayne knew what was coming for him next sentencing. 280 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:20,640 Speaker 1: We'll be right back after this word word word. Dave 281 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,360 Speaker 1: Roberts socks pinch runner stole second. They were down by 282 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: one bottom of the ninth. The Yankees were up three 283 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: games to none. Winning would humiliate the Red Sox and 284 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: send the Yankees to the World Series. 285 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 3: The tension couldn't have been higher. 286 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 2: Bill Miller was at the plate, Riviera made his pitch, 287 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 2: the ball shot off the bat up the middle, Roberts 288 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 2: tore ass toward the plate. The throw from Bernie Williams 289 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:49,640 Speaker 2: again late, and the Red Sox died the game. 290 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: Playing for its high. Wasn't the Red Sox endgame? And 291 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,400 Speaker 1: now that was it. Lil Wayne's his mindset was to win, 292 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: to overcome whatever obstacles presented themselves, staying alive in the 293 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,440 Speaker 1: murderer's hometown, the murder of his stepfather, surviving a gunshot 294 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: to the chest, and becoming one of the biggest selling 295 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,679 Speaker 1: hip hop stars on the planet. Except Lil Wayne was 296 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: being taken out of the game. He sat in the 297 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 1: dentist's chair. Root canals were supposed to be scarier than 298 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:24,400 Speaker 1: they actually were, but not today. This hurt like a motherfucker. 299 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: It wasn't just one root canal, it was eight in 300 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,879 Speaker 1: one sitting, eight root canals in an eight hour sitting. 301 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,199 Speaker 1: To repair his two thing plants, and to repair his 302 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: real teeth that for the last few years had been 303 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: capped in gold and diamonds one hundred and fifty grand worth, 304 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: the grill had to go. One hundred and fifty thousand 305 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,160 Speaker 1: dollars worth of diamonds and gold sparkling in his mouth 306 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 1: wasn't going to cut it. In a Riker's Island prison, 307 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: and there weren't any official rulings on the books about 308 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: dental in plants in prison, but possession of jewelry was 309 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: regulated in order to avoid the sticky situation of using 310 00:18:56,359 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: it the barter for contraband or sex. Riker's inmates were 311 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: restricted to only wearing watches that were valued at less 312 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: than fifty dollars, and wedding rings valued it no more 313 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: than one hundred and fifty dollars. Religious necklaces were allowed again, 314 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 1: but nothing costing more than fifty bucks. So if you 315 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: wanted to look like a wanna be wise guy, you 316 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: were all set. But if you wanted to rock a grill, 317 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 1: you were as good as a marked man. So Lil 318 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:23,879 Speaker 1: Wayne had to lose the grill, so much so that 319 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: his prison sentence was postponed in order to accommodate the 320 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: trip to the dentist prison, which is where he was headed. 321 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,399 Speaker 1: The weapons charge, at least in the eyes of the court, 322 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 1: was legit, even though Lil Wayne and most everyone else 323 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: knew it was bullshit. Twelve months a full year for 324 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 1: having a gun, a gun that wasn't even on him, 325 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,680 Speaker 1: that was quote unquote in his possession, and by possession 326 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:50,159 Speaker 1: they meant on his tour bus in the general proximity 327 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,640 Speaker 1: of him, but not on his body. A year for that, 328 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 1: the sentence seemed entirely fucked up, even though Lil Wayne 329 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:01,119 Speaker 1: had another pending charge, this one in Arizona after police 330 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 1: dogs had sniffed out weed, ecstasy, cocaine, guns, and twenty 331 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,480 Speaker 1: grand in cash in his tour bus in two thousand 332 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: and eight, But that was a separate case which would 333 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: whittle down to three years parole in no jail time, 334 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: so he shouldn't have mattered. Lil Wayne knew what was up. 335 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 1: He was headed to Rikers because the judge, the cops, whoever, 336 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,479 Speaker 1: they had headlines to grab, and that's what the hassle 337 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: was about on that night, headlines. It wasn't about some 338 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 1: trumped up gun charge. It was about Lil Wayne, a 339 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: New Orleans rapper in New York City, headlining a concert 340 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: venue for the first time while beefing with New York's 341 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 1: top MC JYZ. The two men with the surname of 342 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: Carter had a long history of respect and beef. Lil 343 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: Wayne rapped that he was the best rapper alive since 344 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 1: the best rapper retired on two thousand and fours bring 345 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: it back. As for the current beef, most of it 346 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 1: seemed to stem from out of context quotes and hip 347 00:20:53,320 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: hop mags in friendly competition. July twenty second, two thousand 348 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,680 Speaker 1: and seven, New York City's Beacon Theater, Lil Wayne at 349 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,680 Speaker 1: the top of the bill, and the city's hip hop 350 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 1: community turned up. Kanye was on his way, Khaled was 351 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: in the house. Jules Santana and Jah Rule were having 352 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: a hard time getting in. IRV Gotti was pissed and 353 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: police were everywhere out front on Broadway, mounted on horses, 354 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 1: inside the door as monitoring the metal detector post roaming 355 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: plain closed cops pushing through the packed crab clocking for 356 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 1: indiscriminate bulges and waistlines, and at the backstage door a 357 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:35,640 Speaker 1: paddock down the headliner, harassing Lil Wayne on his way 358 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,960 Speaker 1: into the venue to perform his set. When asked about 359 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 1: the show later, DJ Khaled said he felt like he 360 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: was going into a prison, and Lil Wayne shared the 361 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: ill sentiment. When he first hit the stage, the harassment 362 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: and overbearing police presence was hard to shake off. He 363 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:53,880 Speaker 1: told his Rabbit audience that quote, I just went through 364 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:57,400 Speaker 1: the worst fucking feeling ever with the all police on stage. 365 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: He looked defeated, disappointed, disgusting. He then leaned into it 366 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: and this may be one of the only times you 367 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,639 Speaker 1: see me because of how they treated me. And Wayne 368 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: put it behind him though, and soldiered on. Kanye hit 369 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: the stage with him and the place lost the shit. 370 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: Cal and Santana and Ja Rule also hit the stage 371 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 1: for cameos. In the end, the show went off great 372 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: and the performances were on fire, and the audience was ecstatic. 373 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,199 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne had arrived in New York, but now it 374 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,880 Speaker 1: was time to bounce lights on, hit, the bus, hit, 375 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: the hotel, party split, except that didn't happen. Lil Wayne 376 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,679 Speaker 1: and his entourage were detained before going anywhere. Almost as 377 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: soon as the tour bus rolled out, it was pulled 378 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,399 Speaker 1: over by New York's finest and the cops claimed that 379 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: they smelled marijuana, which of course was entirely possible. When 380 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 1: the cops got on the bus, they went straight for Wayne. 381 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: It was in the back and nothing but his boxer 382 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: short it's amid change. The cops claimed they saw him 383 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 1: throw a Louis Vuitton bag under one of the bunks. 384 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: In it a forty caliber handgun. Lil Wayne argued that 385 00:22:59,040 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: it wasn't his. 386 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 3: Didn't matter. 387 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 1: He was hauled in and charged with the possession of 388 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: an illegal firearm in New York, a Class D violent felony. 389 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,679 Speaker 1: The gun wasn't his, and it was registered just not 390 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,880 Speaker 1: to him, to his manager, not in New York and Mississippi. 391 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: But New York prosecutors weren't playing. They went adam hard, 392 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 1: seeking the maximum penalty, and Lil Wayne's lawyers knew better 393 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:22,959 Speaker 1: than to tempt what at the time was the city's 394 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,440 Speaker 1: rigid justice system. They prevailed upon Lil Wayne to take 395 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 1: a plea. He did, admitting that the gun, though not 396 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: in his possession, was within his quote unquote dominion or control, 397 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: meaning I guess that if he wanted to pick up 398 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: a gun that was registered and shoot it off, he 399 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: had the ability to do so, which makes sense somewhat, 400 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,720 Speaker 1: but in my mind doesn't justify a year long prison sentence. 401 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 3: But it didn't matter. 402 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,719 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne, one of the most famous and successful rappers 403 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 1: on the planet at the time, was heading off to 404 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: Riker's Island prison for a year, and there was nothing 405 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: that he, or his dentist or anyone else could do 406 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: about it. 407 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 2: Bottom of the twelfth part of the order, and the 408 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 2: temperature continued to fall in Boston as fans heart rates 409 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 2: rose into the bottom of the twelfth A four to 410 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 2: four game, a two to one pitch made Ramirez got 411 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 2: it going with a hit. The Red Sox had their 412 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,359 Speaker 2: leadoff man on, David Ortiz was now at the plate 413 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 2: one on no outs, four to four tie, a Yankee 414 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:40,880 Speaker 2: win and they go to the World Series. 415 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 3: A Red Sox win and they avoid the sweep. 416 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 2: The pitch to Big Pappy David Ortiz took it deep 417 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 2: into the right field. Sheffield went back but home run 418 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 2: the Red Sox one overcame certain defeat and lived to 419 00:24:55,480 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 2: fight another day. 420 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,880 Speaker 1: That's all Lil Wayne wanted to live to fight another day. 421 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: He'd done it before, he'd do it again. The prison 422 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,160 Speaker 1: was hard, boring as fuck, but Lil Wayne was doing 423 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: his time, writing out his one year sentence, hoping for 424 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,920 Speaker 1: time off for good behavior. Real jail was no joke, 425 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: but it wasn't all bad. There were little things to 426 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:25,920 Speaker 1: help make it a little easier. The old dude across 427 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 1: the hall looked out for him. We got an extra 428 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: sugar for his coffee every morning, and he had an 429 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: MP three player he could mess with that mess with 430 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 1: music keep his head occupied. And there was a radio 431 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: he could sometimes listen to ESPN and occasionally catch a 432 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:43,199 Speaker 1: game from his beloved Red Sox. He could be social 433 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 1: if you wanted. He ended up officiating a wedding for 434 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 1: two fellow inmates, and they decorated the cell with streamers made 435 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: from toilet paper, drank gatorade in celebration, and of course 436 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 1: there were visitors. Kanye Diddy and Lil Wayne's protegee Drake. 437 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne had signed to Young Money Entertainment back in 438 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: two thousand and nine. He knew Drake was a star 439 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: and on his hunch now the world knew it too. 440 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 1: So did Lil Wayne's girlfriend, which was the problem. It 441 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,679 Speaker 1: was why Drake was visiting his mentor behind bars to 442 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 1: tell him in person what Wayne already knew. But the 443 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: rumors claimed that yes he Drake was sleeping with Little 444 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: Waite's girl. It's stung, but Wayne would have to overcome worse. 445 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:27,479 Speaker 1: He was now in solitary, forced to do his remaining 446 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,879 Speaker 1: month by himself for possession of a legal contraband the 447 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 1: MP three player. Solitary was brutal. Too much time alone. 448 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne lived in the moment, always one minute to 449 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 1: the next. He relied on instinct. The universe had a plant, 450 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:45,120 Speaker 1: God had a plan. If there was a road map, 451 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: he'd never seen it. But alone hold up in the darkness, 452 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:54,679 Speaker 1: there were visions, violent visions, a bus barreling onto an 453 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: Atlanta highway through a spray of gunfire, Bullets flying everywhere, screaming, crying, 454 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: screeching tires, fear everywhere, but not in Lo Wayne's heart. 455 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: It beats steady, true, rampid bullets weren't anything he couldn't overcome, 456 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: and the bus would come to a stop, and so 457 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: too with the shooting, and he'd be fine, better than before, stronger, smarter, 458 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: smart enough. 459 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 3: To sniff out. 460 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,280 Speaker 1: A snake in his midst. A vision of a slithering, 461 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 1: money grubbing reptile working his way through Lol Wayne's house 462 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: on the outside, a mentor, a father figure, a trader 463 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: in his midst stealing right out from under his nose. 464 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,920 Speaker 1: Millions gone in a record label advance, embezzlement, the running 465 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: of Lil Wayne's hard earned cash after Lil Wayne built 466 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,160 Speaker 1: cash money records. It couldn't be. It was too far 467 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,639 Speaker 1: fetched a vision, say it ain't so time would tell. 468 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: In the meantime, though, time was all that mattered, doing 469 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 1: the time, not letting it do you overcoming. Enduring Baseball 470 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 1: is an endurance sport. One hundred and sixty two games 471 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 1: in a season played over six months longer if you 472 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 1: make the playoffs. It's a grueling stretch. It's rare, if 473 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 1: near impossible, for a player to go an entire season 474 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: without some sort of injury. Some play through the pain, 475 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:15,639 Speaker 1: most don't. The great ones of course do. There's a 476 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,440 Speaker 1: rhythm to a baseball season. It starts out easy, languid, 477 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: almost picks up steam, dips into a respite in July, 478 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 1: comes back furious in the late summer months, and speeds 479 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 1: into the fall postseason on fumes. There are nine innings 480 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,920 Speaker 1: per game in baseball, and unlike any other sport, there 481 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,879 Speaker 1: is no clock. You play until you finish, until someone 482 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 1: comes out on top, no matter the time, no matter 483 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: the number of extra innings. Unlike in other sports, there 484 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 1: is more at stake for quitters. Arguably, you've invested too 485 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 1: much of your time and effort to get to this 486 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 1: point in the game and give up. October seventeenth, two 487 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: thousand and four, the Boston Red Sox, the law Wayne's team, 488 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 1: was five hours plus and to an extra innings win 489 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: or go home game. Again. It's the vaunted New York Yankees, 490 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: a team that had the socks number for the better 491 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: part of a century. Mid October, almost a full three 492 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: extra weeks of postseason playing time. On top of the 493 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 1: extra innings, they were tired down three games to none. 494 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: The world encounted them out. Even their fans encounted them out. 495 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 1: If they tell you otherwise, they're lying. Losing was expected 496 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: at this point for the players, giving up. Losing at 497 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: that laid point in the game would have gone unnoticed. 498 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,239 Speaker 1: It would have been the easy thing to do. But 499 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:33,240 Speaker 1: the Red Sox clawed, scraped, and fought their way back, 500 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: tying the game in the ninth and eventually winning it 501 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: on a David Ortiz walk off home run in the twelve. 502 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: There was no giving up, because giving up meant giving 503 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: up too much, too much time, too much invested energy. 504 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: It wasn't just a game, it wasn't just a season. 505 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: It wasn't even the romanticized overcoming of some silly, non 506 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 1: existent curse. It was pride, a sense of self, a 507 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: once placed in the world, at the top, overcoming the odds, 508 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: a world beater inherit will to not give up, to overcome. 509 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne had that same will. It would have been 510 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: easy to fall into bad habits in prison, to get high, 511 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: fuck off, fight whatever. And there were numerous ways for 512 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne to have taken his eye off the ball, 513 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: to extend to stay at Riker's, but that wasn't going 514 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: to happen. He was neither above the law nor under 515 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 1: the influence. He had exerted so much effort, so much 516 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: of himself into his career. By that point, even if 517 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: he was in prison, there was too much at stake. 518 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: He'd been rapping since he was nine, and rapping for 519 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: cash money since he was twelve. He'd been famous his 520 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: entire adult life, and for part of his childhood. He'd 521 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:42,239 Speaker 1: won four Grammys, released multiple platinum albums, escaped Hollygrove to 522 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:42,959 Speaker 1: toward the world. 523 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:44,960 Speaker 3: There was too much on the line now. 524 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: He had too many people counting on him, everyone at 525 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,480 Speaker 1: Young Money Entertainment, the label he had founded a few 526 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:54,600 Speaker 1: years earlier. His family, his four children, their four different mothers, 527 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: all relied on him. So there was nothing he was 528 00:30:57,560 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 1: going to do to send him back, and there was 529 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: nobody or nothing that he was going to let keep 530 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 1: him down this deep into the game. Not the vicious 531 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: murder of a father figure, not his father abandoning him, 532 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 1: not a third father figure's betrayal, or the betrayal of 533 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 1: a protege, not even a gunshot when moved. 534 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:14,360 Speaker 3: To the Chester. 535 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 1: Eight months in Rikers, and especially not a month in 536 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: solitary confinement at the end of his stint, none of 537 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 1: him was gonna do. Lil Wayne in On November fourth, 538 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: twenty ten, Lil Wayne walked out of prison and into 539 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: the rest of his life, once again a free man. 540 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: Because giving in, giving up it wasn't in him. For 541 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: Lil Wayne, it would have been nothing short of disgraceful. 542 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 1: I'm Jake Brennan, and this this disgrace, all right. It 543 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: was reported in late January of twenty twenty one, after 544 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: the writing and recording of this episode, that Lil Wayne 545 00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: was granted a pardon by then President Donald J. Trump 546 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 1: felony gun charge a different felony gun charge than the 547 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: one depicted in this episode, a felony gun charge springing 548 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 1: from an arrest in late twenty nineteen, a felony gun 549 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 1: charge that very likely would have landed Lil Wayne, a 550 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 1: convicted felon, in prison again, but this time for up 551 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: to ten years. It was also reported that after his 552 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 1: arrest and before the twenty twenty presidential election, Lil Wayne, 553 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: ever the self preservationists and not one to give up, 554 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 1: was able to arrange a meeting with the then president 555 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 1: at his golf course in Miami. By all accounts, the 556 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: president was charmed by the Megawatt rap star, and so 557 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: the rap star was pardoned and therefore once again free 558 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 1: to be Lil Wayne. Disgraceland was created by Yours Truly 559 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: and is produced in partnership with Double Elvis. Credits for 560 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 1: this episode can be found on the show notes page 561 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: at disgracelamdpod dot com. If you're listening as a Disgraceland 562 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 1: All Access member, thank you for supporting the show. 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