"The Block Is Hot," "Go DJ," "Fireman" and "Lollipop" — Lil Wayne has had a lot of singles, but none like his newly leaked "How to Love."
"I can tell you that I've never had a single like it, and it's an amazing song. It's an amazing song," Wayne told Sway when the two sat down after the taping of Wayne's upcoming MTV "Unplugged" special, which will air June 12 on MTV2.
"How to Love," which surfaced online on Thursday (May 26), is produced by Detail and features Weezy singing over an acoustic guitar and drum backdrop. On the song's hook, Wayne remains sincere and loving, singing to his main squeeze: "You had a lot of crooks try to still your heart, never really had luck, couldn't never figure out how to love." He continues to serenade the object of his affection, assuring her that she "deserves the best" and reminding her that she is beautiful.
For some time, members of the Cash Money camp have been hinting that a big Tha Carter IV single was on the way. In May, Young Money president Mack Maine told that an upcoming single from the album would have mass appeal, and on Thursday, he confirmed that "How to Love" is the song that YMCMB have been talking about.
"When I listen to it I get goose bumps," Weezy said. "And I feel like the song is gonna take me somewhere that I've never been musically."
Tunechi, who recently extended his I Am Still Music Tour through September, is looking to diversify his live show, and "How to Love" would help him do that. "You know that if you come to a Lil Wayne show two years from now, you already know that 'I'm gonna get rap — some of the best rap — I'm gonna get some guitar, I'm gonna get some singin', I'm gonna get some dancin', I'm gonna get some old-school music, and I'm goin' to a show tonight.' And I think that's where this song is directing me to."
For Birdman Jr., rap just isn't enough anymore. "I am a musician, and a few years back, I noticed that I wasn't just a rapper. And I noticed that I didn't want to do this just to rap," he said before clarifying his point. "I do want to go down as one of the greatest rappers of all time, but I also want to go down as one of the greatest musicians of all time.
"When you think about it, Tupac is just known as a great rapper; Biggie is just known as a great rapper, Jay-Z — just known as a great rapper," he continued. "I want to be known as that rapper that turned it all the way up and became the face of the music."
Actually, Wayne looks to epitomize the word one day. "When they make a billboard and put whoever they gonna put up there to define the word 'music,' I wanna be there."
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