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

BYGabriel Bras Nevares16.6K 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 music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.