Lil Wayne Listens To This Classic Artist To Calm Him Down Before Shows

BYGabriel Bras Nevares1.9K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Show
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 22: Lil Wayne performs onstage during the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
It's kind of surprising to learn about this Weezy ritual, but it shouldn't be; after all, who doesn't get down with a little bit of soul?

Even though Lil Wayne has an incredible career behind him, and a path forward that hasn't finished, he still gets nervous before performances. Of course, this is natural and normal for people to experience, and you'd be correct in assuming he has a way to handle these reservations. However, you might be taken aback by what Tunechi- who is still releasing great new music- needs to cure his stomachaches and anxieties. Moreover, he revealed as such while speaking with boxer Terrence Crawford on his Apple Music show, Young Money Radio. Unsurprisingly, what keeps Weezy in check and confident is exactly what he does that gets him so jittery: music.

"I put on Anita Baker," Lil Wayne surprisingly expressed, naming the classic soul legend as the only artist whose work can get him out of that nervous zone. Perhaps you expected a hip-hop companion or some other musician, but there's nothing like some Rapture. "She take the pain away. I told her to her face too, and she said I’m not the first person to tell her that. I looked [at her] dead in the eyes and told her, ‘I get a very strong stomach ache and I’ve been getting it since day one. Before I go on stage, there’s nothing that works but you.’

Lil Wayne Thanks Anita Baker For Helping Him With Pre-Show Nerves: Watch

"‘I just put it on shuffle," Lil Wayne continued. "Don’t matter what the song is. When your voice come through, my stomach ache go away.’ She goes, ‘You not the first person to tell me that.’ I go, ‘See, you know I ain’t lying, then.’ She’s a beautiful hell of a woman." This is praise that plenty of other artists have for the New Orleans legend, including fellow Louisiana icon Master P.

Meanwhile, the No Ceilings MC doesn't let his nerves get in the way of amazing concert appearances. For example, he recently blew The Game's mind with a guest freestyle while onstage at a recent Fugees concert. Just goes to show that anxiety can always be overcome, and that Anita Baker is really that woman. For more news and the latest updates on Lil Wayne, come back to HNHH.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
...