- Jay-Z Talks Lil Wayne's Surprise Appearance At Madison Square Garden
'It was fantastic,' Hov says.
By Shaheem Reid
Jay-Z
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images
BROOKLYN, New York — On Thursday, Jay-Z told MTV News he has grand plans to have major musical performances once the new Barclays Center — future home to the Nets, the NBA team Jay co-owns — opens in a couple of years. But the Jiggaman obviously still has love for Madison Square Garden. He's had numerous historic moments at MSG over the years, and last week was no different. His Blueprint 3 tour stopped at the venue, and along with Jay parading out his classic records, his tour guests Young Jeezy and Trey Songz brought out surprises: Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Fabolous all came out.
"It was fantastic," Jay said Thursday about his latest Garden adventure, the fond memory invoking a grin. "Again, any time you play the Garden is a special moment. It's special. Wayne, how that worked out, he was supposed to go away for a year. Somehow he was able to perform that last show. He came out to an incredible reaction. Then Drake, Nicki Minaj — all on Jeezy's set, which was fantastic. Then Trey Songz and Fabolous. It's one of those magical nights at the Garden. Once again, one of those magical nights."
Thursday in Brooklyn was a dream come true for Jay. He told the crowd how as a young boy in the nearby Marcy projects, he dreamed of playing basketball — and now as an owner of the Nets, he's bringing the team to his backyard. The groundbreaking ceremony for the team's new arena was attended by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, the Reverend Al Sharpton, New York Governor David Paterson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and others.
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- T-Pain Says Lil Wayne's Jail Time Put T-Wayne Album On Hold
'We just gonna wait until he gets out to really get in on that,' he tells Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
T-Wayne
Photo: Young Money
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Despite naysayers' talk that the duet album between T-Pain and Lil Wayne will never happen, Mr. Pain says the project is very much still alive, just on hold.
"The T-Wayne album, we're actually gonna wait until he gets out," Pain said about Weezy's jail time. "He has so much going on. He has Rebirth out right now. I don't wanna interrupt that. We just gonna wait until he gets out to really get in on that. We recorded a bunch of songs. But, right now, it's time for him and his personal sh--. We definitely got an album's worth of material, but it's only an album's worth. It's nothing to pick from. We just got an album. We can put out whatever we feel like and say, 'Hey, this is T-Wayne's album,' or we can actually try to make it good. Like we're actually trying to make an album and say, 'This is the good T-Wayne album.' Rather than just record 12 songs and say, 'Here you go, mutha----as! I know you want it. You gonna buy it anyway, just 'cause you think it's good.' "
Pain, who always has a joke up his sleeve or in his top hat, had a lighthearted response when asked what he thought of his supergroup teammate having to go to prison.
"It happens, man," the singer said. "People go to jail. That's something he's gotta go through. I'm happy it's not f---ing 10 years. That's just something that's going on. I know his commissary [prison store] is ridiculous. He's got so much money in his commissary. You think Baby is gonna let him sit up in there and eat Doritos? Wayne got [his food] coming with steaks. ... I know what's going on there.
"Young Money is still there also. He's in the studio 24/7," Pain added. "It's gonna be like Tupac. You still gonna get 1,000 songs from Wayne. You ain't gonna miss nothing. It's gonna be like he never went to jail. I'm pretty sure they're gonna put out a gang of songs. I'm pretty sure they're gonna do a 'Free Lil Wayne' campaign. That's how it goes."
For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.
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- Lil Wayne Told His Family To Be 'Strong' During His Incarceration, Ex-Wife Says
'At this point it is what it is, and we just gotta make the best of it,' Antonia 'Toya' Johnson told Vibe magazine.
By Hillary Crosley
Lil Wayne arrives in court on March 8, 2010 in New York City
Photo: Louis Lanzano/ AP Images
After several postponements due to dental surgery, a courthouse fire and court-date rescheduling, Lil Wayne finally turned himself in on Monday to begin his one-year jail sentence at Rikers Island. However, he wasn't the only one feeling the strain. The rapper's ex-wife Antonia "Toya" Johnson and daughter Reginae shuttled back and forth to the New York City courthouse from Atlanta in anticipation of his incarceration.
"It was up and down, you know. One minute we thought he was going and she'd be sad, and then he don't go," Johnson told Vibe magazine recently. "We [were] in New York like two times and we ended up turning right back around because he didn't go."
Despite all of the back-and-forth, Reginae missed seeing her father on Monday when he began his sentence stemming from a July 2007 gun-possession charge.
"The last day he finally went in, we didn't go, so my daughter was like, 'I wish I would've went.' It was just too much. I just didn't want to let her see that again 'cause both times she took it real hard," said Johnson. "So I was like, I'm not gon' let her go this last time. I'm just gon' make sure he talk to her 'cause I didn't know if he was really gonna go. They kept pushing back."
Wayne might be the biggest rapper on the planet, but he's just "Dad" to Reginae, so Johnson said the time apart will be hard on the 11 year-old.
"He just told me to be strong and don't really trip. Don't let her see me down," said Johnson. "At first my daughter would see me a little sad and you know kids they react off of your feelings sometimes, so he was just like, 'Be strong, make sure you take care of her. Make sure she straight and keep her phone on all the time so I can call her. The time is gonna fly by.'
"The whole point of him being in jail is just not good for her — to say her dad's in jail," Johnson continued. "But at this point it is what it is, and we just gotta make the best of it. I'ma take her to visit him and talk to him and she'll get through this eight months. It'll fly by. I tell her all the time, 'Just call daddy and tell him you love him,' and he'll be home soon."
Lil Wayne and Johnson married in 2004 and divorced in 2006. In 2009, Johnson and her friend, T.I.'s fiancée Tiny, debuted their BET reality series "Tiny & Toya." The second season premieres on April 13.
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- Busta Rhymes, Diddy, More Honor Notorious B.I.G. -- Without Lil Wayne
'During 14th anniversary, we wanna see Weezy over here showing love,' Busta says after the show honoring the 13th anniversary of Biggie's death.
By Shaheem Reid
Busta Rhymes at the Notorious B.I.G. memorial party
Photo: MTV News
Early Wednesday morning, Busta Rhymes was absolutely basking in an afterglow at 2:10 a.m. in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Busta had just performed with Rick Ross, Fabolous, Red Café and Puff Daddy at the Lab nightclub — the collective, wearing T-shirts that read "Invisible Bully," took to the stage to honor the 13th anniversary of the death of Notorious B.I.G.
"Brooklyn is so thorough," Busta yelled in the parking lot. "We seeing U-Haul trucks, we smelling jerk chicken — Brooklyn's reppin', homie."
Busta brought the ruckus with his chorus on "Victory." There was no way Rhymes would have missed saluting his close friend, Biggie.
"God bless Ms. Wallace and thank you so much Ms. Wallace for giving us such greatness. As far as existence is concerned ... Big was greatness as far as existence was concerned," he said. "When I'm sitting in the venue, we sippin' on all type of things and we watching and really being able to appreciate how every single song ... you know how people got their favorites. It's one thing for people to sing their favorites, but it's another when everybody sings the entire catalog. Special homie!"
Buss said the night was just about perfect — however, one person was missing.
"The one thing I definitely feel a little funny about is that the homie Lil Wayne had to go in and the timing was so close to a moment. Not only did he tear it down at Madison Square Garden, I wish he had a couple of more days to be able to come and tear it down for us honoring the legacy of the late great B.I. I'm sure Weezy would have came through and repped with everybody that came through tonight. With that being said, I hope the homie holds his head, do his little stint, 85 percent of his stint, and comes home safe in one piece. Because you really can't cage genius. During 14th anniversary, we wanna see Weezy over here showing love to the late great B.I. Big up to the whole Young Money. Shout-out to the whole Cash Money."
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- Lil Wayne Goes To Jail
The larger than life rapper heads off to prison on March 8.
Photo: Ray Tamarra/ Getty Images
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- Lil Wayne: A Closer Look At His First Day Behind Bars
'The best thing to do in the first 24 hours is to keep your mouth shut as much as possible,' one expert says.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Lil Wayne at court Monday
Photo: Ray Tamarra/ Getty Images
Lil Wayne has been booked and processed into the Eric M. Taylor Center on Rikers Island to begin his one-year jail sentence.
According to most experts, the first 24 hours are the most crucial to ensuring a successful incarceration. Dr. Jefferey Ian Ross, a faculty member at the University of Baltimore's Criminology Division, advises that the superstar MC keep to himself as he gets adjusted to his new surroundings.
"Most of the time, the best thing to do in the first 24 hours is to keep your mouth shut as much as possible," Ross told MTV News. "Keep your eyes open and basically do as you're told by the correction officers. Essentially, you shouldn't look at other inmates in the eye, 'cause to a lot of people, that may be considered an aggressive type of action. Also, don't look at their property, because they may feel like that's aggressive as well and that you want their property."
Ross, who wrote the book "Behind Bars: Surviving Prison" along with Stephen C. Richards, explained that most inmates are housed with similar offenders, but there are instances were prisoners get bored and lash out. For these reasons, it's important for someone like Lil Wayne, a celebrity, to maintain as normal of a disposition as he can.
"Say 'yes sir,' 'no sir,' no cutting in line," Ross said. "Don't act like you have special privileges."
Unlike NFL star-turned-inmate Plaxico Burress, Lil Wayne shunned a jail coach or a sentencing specialist. Ross said that decision put Wayne at a disadvantage, because some benefits include assistance in building a network within the prison facilities. Sentencing coaches, in some cases, are previously jailed people who can connect incoming inmates with those they can trust inside.
According to Ross, Lil Wayne will eventually have to venture out from his own connections. But in the interim, Ross suggested the old adage that prisoners need to just "do their time."
"Keep your mouth shut, keep your eyes open, be respectful — not only to correction officers, but to inmates," he said. "And don't be a snitch and don't complain about the housing accommodations, follow those rules and they call that 'do your own time.'
"It's not easy," Ross added. "Criminals don't face a cakewalk, [regardless of the length of their sentence]. Their liberties and choices are taken away from them, and they're basically at the will of prison."
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- B.G. On Lil Wayne's Jail Time: 'I Don't Know How He's Gonna Do It'
Hot Boys rapper also addresses Turk's imprisonment: 'He's handling it like a gangsta.'
By Shaheem Reid
B.G.
Photo: MTV News
Gone but never forgotten. Lil Wayne has been in prison for 24 hours, and the reactions about his sentence keep pouring in. Fans told MTV News that they already miss the New Orleans rhyme hero, and stars such as LeBron James, Bun B, Young Jeezy and the Game have all lamented the loss of their friend and a talented performer.
Wayne's former partner in the Hot Boys, B.G., also shared his opinion on the situation.
"I mean, I been there, done that," said B.G., who last partied with Wayne on Super Bowl Sunday. "So, you know, you gotta take your lick. Me, personally, I would recommend that they don't put him in general population. But then again, I don't recommend putting them on 23 and 1 [protective custody]. I don't know how he gonna do it."
The New York Daily News reported that Weezy will be serving his time in general population.
When asked about another incarcerated former Hot Boy, Turk, B.G. said he is staying tough while inside. "I talk to Turk all the time," B.G. said. "He's been down almost six years. He took 10 years on the gun charge. They dropped the charges of attempted murder on a police officer because it was friendly fire. They have a civil lawsuit with the police [officer's family]. He's supposed to be on his way to the halfway house.
"Turk's a soldier," B.G. added. "He's handling it like a gangsta. He's got smarter, wiser, he's been reading. Six years in the feds ... his chess game is on point. He's been eating. He got about 10 albums [written]. He's ready."
B.G. has his own firearm charge he has to contend with. He was arrested earlier this year on weapons charges.
"I know what comes behind what I do," B.G. told MTV News in November. "I know the consequences and repercussions of what comes behind it. Where I'm from, it's just like, that first draw is a mutha----a, the bullets raining out the sky. It's like that for real. It's a murder capital. They dropping like flies. I stay in the suburbs. All my neighbors are white and football players and doctors and dentists. I lay my head there, but when I get up in the morning, I gotta go to the projects and get some grits and cheese and sausage and toast. It's just something about that 'hood. I wanna post up and sit on the porch and get my hair braided. I'm just 'hood. The same way I came in the game is the same way I'm going out. I just can't see it no other way. I don't care if I sell 10 million, 20 million, 30 million."
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- Lil Wayne Fans Say They Already Miss Jailed MC
'I hope he gets out early!' one MTV News reader says as Wayne begins prison term.
By MTV News staff
Lil Wayne
Photo: Louis Lanzano/AP
Shortly after Lil Wayne turned himself in to serve his yearlong prison sentence, the superstar MC's absence could be felt, both online — where Weezy had been busy tweeting and posting videos in recent weeks — and on the street.
"It's messed up looking at his situation, being a role model," Wince Aubrey, 32, told MTV News. "But he got caught red-handed, so he's being a man and owning up to his responsibility. He's gonna be missed."
Lil Wayne's sentencing had been delayed a number of times, first for dental surgery he required and then once again after a fire occurred at the courthouse last week. But on Monday, the rapper was formally sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to attempted gun possession. The New Orleans native will now call Rikers Island his home at least until November, when he could be released after eight months for serving his jail stint with good behavior.
"Wow, that really sucks," MTV.com reader Courtney wrote. "I think that this is so stupid. ... He is a good artist and donates a lot of money to charities. I hope he gets out early!!!"
"DAMN! So, finally he's gone," Superman commented online. "Stay strong, Weezy. Best rapper alive."
But not all fans were saddened by the departure of the nearly ubiquitous hip-hop star.
George Asatrian, 21, argued that Lil Wayne won't be missed too much. "Hip-hop won't be affected too much by him going to jail," he told MTV News. "Because he probably has so much music to last, and I think he has enough people under him who will hold him down until he comes back."
Brooklynite Angel Velasquez said that even though the rapper's sentence is short, it will still be challenging. But he cautioned about too much hype surrounding Lil Wayne's imprisonment. "It's not all about Weezy," he said. "There's a lot more entertainers out there."
What do you think about Lil Wayne's jail time? Will you miss the rapper while he's out of the public eye? Let us know below!
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- Lil Wayne Going To Jail Is Like Elvis Being Drafted, Bun B Says
'I don't think anything like this has happened in music since Elvis got drafted into the Army,' he says.
By Shaheem Reid
Bun B
Photo: MTV News
Bun B has been friends with Lil Wayne since he was a teenager. The Houston legend said having Wayne out of the music game for a year will be a greater loss than people are realizing.
"I feel bad, because I don't think anything like this has happened in music since Elvis got drafted into the Army," Bun B said. " ... Let's just keep it real: Lil' Wayne is not just the biggest rapper, Lil Wayne is the biggest pop star right now. Maybe Susan Boyle is on his level. But when you talk about music, nine times out of 10, Lil Wayne's name is gonna come into the conversation. I feel bad for any brother or any sister that's gotta go to jail. I feel especially bad for a person like Lil Wayne who's really riding the wave right now. But he don't have a lot of time. He's doing it on the Island. As wild and as ill as the Island is, I think at the same time, he'll be all right. When you in that state jail and you dealing with those lifers, you got a lot of other issues at hand."
While in jail, Wayne should just focus on serving his time productively and not worry about fellow inmates, Bun said. , Wayne should just focus on serving his time productively and not worry about fellow inmates, Bun said.
"I don't think it will be smart for him to go to general population," he said. "A person like Lil Wayne doesn't have to prove anything to anybody in general population exposing themselves to that yard. It's not about being real. It's too many people who have way too much to gain, and [there is] so much he could lose by trying to prove something. ... That's nota good look. ... It's a little bit different when a person like Lil Wayne goes to jail. All we can do is pray for him. Pray for his spirit."
Bun, who championed his late musical brother Pimp C years ago when Pimp was in prison, said he admires the attitude Wayne's musical family has in this tough time.
"I just left Miami. People [were] trying to keep their heads up and sprits up while the young man was around, but they are hurting," Bun said. "One thing I noticed from the Young Money camp is that they're not being down because of their careers and they're worried about a co-sign. They are worried about a friend. That's what I see from Drake, Nicki, Stunna. ... These people are concerned about a friend going to prison."
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- Lil Wayne's Jail Time Is An 'Eye-Opener,' Young Jeezy Says
'It's evident that nobody's safe,' Lloyd Banks says about rappers not being above the law.
By Shaheem Reid
Lil Wayne at court Monday
Photo: Ray Tamarra/ Getty Images
Now that Lil Wayne has been sentenced to one year in prison following several delays, the reality is setting in for his fans and friends. No one in the hip-hop community wants to see Weezy leave, and rappers also realize they need to run tighter ships in Wayne's absence.
Young Jeezy said he'll not only miss Wayne's work ethic and music, but also his friend's rebellious attitude.
"Wayne, like I like to call myself, is a trap-aholic," Young Jeezy told MTV News last week in New York, hours before he brought Weezy onstage at Madison Square Garden as a surprise guest during Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 Tour. That performance — which also included Nicki Minaj and Drake — would be Wayne's last before he went to jail.
"He stays in the studio, he stays working," the Snowman added. "We'll definitely miss that. At the same time, we'll definitely miss what he brings to the game as far as him just being Wayne and doing what the f--- he wanna do. We definitely gonna miss that. But it's just an eye-opener to all of us. Instead of targeting the hustlers and the people trying to make it in the streets, now that the streets is dried up, now [the police] are targeting the entertainers and the athletes, what have you. Real talk, not trying to preach to the choir, we gotta be careful out here. What I mean to my culture is more than me proving a point."
Diddy echoed Jeezy's sentiment that police are keeping a very close eye on the hip-hop community.
"I think we gonna miss a certain energy that Wayne has," Diddy said. "The beauty about it is, he'll be back, and hopefully he'll come back a better person. Whenever we get in trouble, we're in the public spotlight. So hopefully there's a lot of kids out there who could learn from any mistakes that we may have put ourselves in, even if we're not guilty of the crime sometimes. We are human. People have to learn: 'Make sure you know where you're going, who you riding with, what the situation is.' We're targets. I'm just happy he doesn't have to do a lot of time and that he'll be out, and hopefully he'll use the time wisely and use it in a positive way."
"It's evident that nobody's safe. That's reality," Lloyd Banks added about rappers not being above the law, with Lil Wayne going to jail on the heels of T.I. and Gucci Mane. Banks himself has an assault case pending in Canada. "People make mistakes, have poor judgments sometimes, and things happen. Hopefully, all those artists can bounce back from it stronger and use that time [in jail] to be more creative. Come back home and get right back to where they was at. It's something that's always been around. We been talking about [rappers going to jail] since Tupac."
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