It's so strange watching the white hipster movement and music establishment herald Wayne as the king of hip hop. He seems to not only get their blessing but that of many hip hop fans - casual and hardcore. As an outsider I find myself puzzled by this
There were probably grumpy hip hop heads who dismissed Tupac and Biggie as mainstream blowhards, but even they had to give props eventually. This is different imo because Wayne has so few redeeming qualities. You may not have liked Biggie, but you couldn't deny his lyrical skills, same with Tupac to a lesser degree. Hell, I shit on Jay-Z all the time but he deserves props for his first album. But what has Lil Wayne done to deserve inclusion in any "best of" discussions?
Classic albums? Nope
Classic songs? Nope
Classic quotables? Nope
Which Lil Wayne song will still be getting heavy play in a decade? Show me his Me Against the World, or his Everyday Struggle, or his One Love, or his Dead Presidents, etc.