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<p>Lil Wayne is reflecting on the evolution of hip hop ahead of its 50th anniversary. Additionally, the 40-year-old rapper is sharing how his artistry has influenced the genre and much more.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">Lil Wayne Reflected On Hip Hop&#8217;s Evolution As The Genre&#8217;s 50th Anniversary Nears</h3>
<p>The Young Money rapper sat down for an exclusive interview with <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/features/lil-wayne-hip-hop-50-anniversary-cover-story-interview-1235382983/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Billboard</a> published Tuesday. During the interview, Wayne shared his thoughts on the upcoming 50th anniversary of hip hop, set to take place on August 11.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Hip-hop will never be over,&#8221; he confidently explained when asked what he would say to the &#8220;naysayers&#8221; who initially &#8220;dismissed&#8221; the genre as a &#8220;fad.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Additionally, he went on to share that out of his 29 years as a signed artist, today is when he sees &#8220;the most change&#8221; in the music genre — something he credits to the rise of social media.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Right now is the time where I see the most change in our genre, because back then, I think it was just progress more than change; progression from what was already set before us and also us honoring what was set before us. But now it’s not that no one’s honoring what was before them — it’s just that the world has changed thanks to social media.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Wayne went on to say that social media has &#8220;changed the genre&#8221; and &#8220;opened doors.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;That’s definitely what helped contribute to its going global.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">Wayne Gets Candid While Speaking On His &#8220;Visible Influence&#8221; On Other Artists</h3>
<p>During the interview, the rapper also shared his thoughts regarding the impact he&#8217;s had on some of the artists who&#8217;ve come after him. Specifically, Wayne addressed the artists he&#8217;s been told are &#8220;looking like&#8221; him.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Sometimes people ask me how I feel about everybody looking like me, everybody getting tattoos, etc. That’s like seeing your kid come out of the room and looking just like you; it feels amazing.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>He then went on to say that the &#8220;visible influence&#8221; he&#8217;s had is &#8220;obvious.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;So the visible influence is kind of obvious because I know for a fact I didn’t get this look from anyone. There was no one that inspired this look. I just ran into looking like this. (Laughs<em>.</em>) But other than that, I hope that my work ethic [is influential as well].&#8221;</p></blockquote>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">Lil Wayne Speaks On The &#8220;Growing Ranks&#8221; Of Female Rappers</h3>
<p>Later in the interview, the rapper shared his thoughts on the growing sea of female rappers. Additionally, he explained why he believes it may have &#8220;taken so long&#8221; for more women to join the genre as emcees.</p>
<blockquote><p>My answer would be, honestly, that it just wasn’t as interesting to women, I don’t think, in the way that Nicki [Minaj], Meg [Megan Thee Stallion] and others are&#8230; I don’t think they looked at or viewed it as something that they wanted to do and actually make a living from it. That’s another part of it. They probably didn’t look at this as something that they could make a living out of.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>As for what the rapper sees as the genre continues to unfold, he says, is artists being able &#8220;to do everything.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I believe that that’s where the genre is headed: artists able to do everything — from singing to tapping into different emotions.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
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<p>Roomies, what are your thoughts on Lil Wayne&#8217;s sentiments about hip hop&#8217;s evolution and the rise of female rap?</p>
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