Lil Wayne Reveals The Real Reason He Doesn't Perform "Mona Lisa" Featuring Kendrick Lamar

BYGabriel Bras Nevares17.9K Views
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Is the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef really that serious or is there another, more complex reason as to why Lil Wayne isn't rapping "Mona Lisa" live?

Lil Wayne has an absolutely stacked catalog that spans over three decades, with so many hits that his concerts are always going to miss at least a couple of classics. But a recently surfaced clip from one of his concerts sees him give an explanation for why he doesn't perform one of his biggest hits of the late 2010s: 2018's "Mona Lisa" featuring Kendrick Lamar off of Tha Carter V. Of course, a lot of people might assume that this might be because of the K.Dot and Drake beef that reached its peak this year, given Weezy's bond with Drizzy through Young Money. However, even though he has reason to obfuscate if this is really the case, his actual explanation for this omission seems much more reasonable and honest.

"People in front, listen, listen," Lil Wayne's remarks not performing "Mona Lisa" featuring Kendrick Lamar began. "This is the second time I seen this within my last three shows. Somebody had a sign that said to do ‘Mona Lisa.’ I’m not sure if that means you, if y’all said y’all real Lil Wayne.

Lil Wayne Explains Why He Doesn't Perform "Mona Lisa" Featuring Kendrick Lamar: Watch

"So if you real Lil Wayne fans, do you know I don’t know the lyrics to my s**t?" Lil Wayne asked the crowd. "Do you know how hard that f***ing song is, girl? You know what I mean? I don’t like to rap the words, but I’m going to learn that s**t. I’m going to learn it. I’m going to learn. I got you. This is for her and for the ‘Mona Lisa’ lovers. But this ain’t ‘Mona Lisa,’ but this for y’all. Let’s go," he concluded before playing another song.

"That moment in the studio with Wayne, I never told Wayne this," Kendrick Lamar had said of Lil Wayne a couple of years ago. "That changed my perspective on work ethic. These not no motherf***ing 'fly by night' verses. These is set right there and thought out right in front of your face. And he's excited about it, and he's loving music, and he loves what he's doing. That gave me a whole other appreciation, and we took that same intensity and work ethic, and applied it moving forward."

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.
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