So…Lil Wayne wants to be a rock star, eh? After flirting with various genres on Tha Carter III (and the mixtapes that proceeded it), Weezy’s next album Rebirth, is rumored to be an album full of guitar-based “rock” music. I'm not sure if he was serious (especially after watching his laughable guitar skills), but then he dropped the album’s first single
Lil Wayne “Prom Queen”
Well, it’s not the worst thing i’ve ever heard, but it sounds like your typical Fall Out Boy/Gym Class Heroes/We’re-30-and-still-singing-about-high-school type of rock that dominates pop radio these days. If Weezy wants the real rock fans to fuck with him, he might have to dig a little deeper. If we were in the studio with Wayne, we’d make him sit down and listen to these 10 albums before his Rebirth Shot Out To Future On This One...lol
The Doors
ALBUM: The Doors (1967)
WHY? Ever since he started developing his drugged-out, syrup-sipping rock star persona on tracks like “I Feel Like Dying,” Wayne has drawn comparisons to the legendary Jim Morrison. But the reason that The Doors’ frontman was so great was not just because he was a entertainingly self-destructive mess—Morrison was actually an amazing songwriter, who infused a new level of poetry and mystery into the ’60s psychedelic rock scene. Much like Morrison, Weezy could go down in history as one of popular music’s most naturally charismatic figures.
LISTEN: “Break On Through”
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David Bowie
ALBUM: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
WHY? One of Weezy’s favorite catch phrases is “we are not the same, I am a Martian.” But he’s not the first to adapt a space alien persona on record. ’70s glam rocker David Bowie made an entire concept album as a character named Ziggy Stardust, who was an extra-terrestrial rock star sent to the earth to deliver a message of hope in anticipation of humanity’s destruction. We could definitely see Weezy venturing into concept album territory with a bugged-out, intergalactic rock opera. Hopefully he’ll wear less makeup than Bowie.
LISTEN: “Ziggy Stardust”
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Operation Ivy
ALBUM: Energy (1989)
WHY? Clearly, Weezy is a fan of Green Day, who he quotes on his recent song “Hot Revolver.” If he liked the band’s multi-platinum breakthrough Dookie, he would probably like this seminal album by one of Green Day’s Berkeley, CA peers. Fusing gritty punk, hyperactive ska and sing-along songwriting, this sole, hugely influential album from Operation Ivy is almost perfect in it’s simplicity. And when it comes to rock music, it would be helpful for Wayne to absorb one of the group’s most famous lines: “All I know is that I don’t know nothin’!”
LISTEN: “Knowledge”
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Dr. John
ALBUM: Gris-Gris (1968)
WHY? He’s from the South, so Weezy needs to know that “Southern Rock” isn’t all Lynyrd Skynyrd-esque redneck rock. In fact, one of rock’s most creative musicians happens to hail from Wayne’s home town, New Orleans. Dr. John carved out a nice niche for himself in 1968 with the release of his debut, which mixed psychedelic rock with the native sounds of New Orleans R&B. We imagine Weezy’s trippy, rock-fused material could be something like the modern day equivalent of Gris-Gris, only with more auto-tune.
LISTEN: “Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya”
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Mötley Crüe
ALBUM: Girls, Girls, Girls (1987)
WHY? Rock critics love to compare the excesses of modern hip-hop to those of bloated ’80s hair metal bands, and they might be right. Weezy has a decade long history of writing lyrics about sexy women, fast cars and (obviously) cash money. In fact, his current lifestyle might not be very different from the lifestyle that Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx and the rest of Mötley Crüe were living in 1987, when they released their decadent fourth album. When it comes to making rock ‘n roll that’s meant to be played at the strip club, nobody’s fuckin’ with this crew—even Southern rappers.
LISTEN: “Girls, Girls, Girls”
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Bad Brains
ALBUM: Bad Brains (1982)
WHY? As a black man venturing out into the lily-white world of rock music, Weezy might take some comfort in hearing the classic debut from this iconic Washington, DC band. Not only did this group of dreadlocked brothers make a home for themselves in the skinhead-friendly hardcore punk scene, but today they’re known as one of the most influential and critically acclaimed groups in underground ’80s rock. Lil’ Jon has already worked with the group in recent years, so a Weezy/Bad Brains collabo doesn’t even seem that far fetched.
LISTEN: “Pay To Cum”
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Iggy & The Stooges
ALBUM: Raw Power (1973)
WHY? On Jamie Foxx’s “Numba 1,” Wayne says “I be in slickest drop/Listenin’ to some Iggy Pop.” It’s possible that Wayne is a hardcore Iggy fan, but we’re willing to bet that he heard “Lust For Life” while watching Trainspotting on his tour bus. Raw Power, arguably Iggy’s greatest album while still with his original band The Stooges, captures the frontman’s raw spirit best. And as an early predecessor to punk rock, this album was extremely influential with later iconic groups like Nirvana and the Sex Pistols.
LISTEN: “Search And Destroy”
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Body Count
ALBUM: Body Count (1992)
WHY? A superstar rapper making a rock album? Something about this sounds familiar…In fact, when Weezy was 10 years old, legendary West Coast MC Ice-T put gangsta rap to the side in favor of releasing a straight-up heavy metal album with his band Body Count. These days, the project is only remembered for the “Cop Killer” controversey, but Ice actually did a halfway decent job creating an album that fit easily into LA’s thrash metal scene, fueled by their unforgettable live performances. This is the right way for a rapper to cross over. Take notes Weezy.
LISTEN: “There Goes The Neighborhood”
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Bob Dylan
ALBUM: Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
WHY? Originally known for being an acoustic-only folk musician, Bob Dylan fucked up the rock world’s head in 1965 by performing with a full electric band at the Newport Folk Festival. His next album, Highway 61 Revisited, put his new sound on full blast for the whole world with songwriting that seems angrier and more accusatory than Dylan’s previous work. Rap fans, who are used to sonic diversity, probably won’t be as shocked by Weezy’s transformation as the folk community was by Dylan’s, but this album might still serve as some assurance that he’s doing the right thing, even if his fan base doesn’t agree.
LISTEN: “Ballad Of A Thin Man”
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Dee Dee King
ALBUM: Standing In The Spotlight (1989)
WHY? Okay, so this isn’t exactly a rock album, but it’s still relevant to Wayne’s current situation. After a stint in rehab, Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone decided to record his solo debut as a rapper under his hip-hop moniker “Dee Dee King.” Despite some help from Debbie Harry, the album ended up being, in a word, unlistenable. Dee Dee should have thought twice before laying his laughable verses down on wax, boasting about his skills as an MC. We’re not saying Wayne shouldn’t make a rock album, we’re just saying that sometimes it’s best to stay in your lane.
LISTEN: “I Want What I Want When I Want It”
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