Lil Wayne Was "Nervous as Hell" to Rap for Inmates at Rikers Island

Wayne gets real about his time in prision in an excerpt from his upcoming memoir.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Lil Wayne'slong-awaited prison memoir Gone 'Til November is finally on its way soon, and on Monday, Vulture premiered the first excerpt from the book.

Although he was incarcerated, Wayne notes that his celebrity still afforded him certain privileges. Guards and fellow inmates went out of their way to meet him, and even hooked him up with some toiletries and better food. This came despite an early warning from the prison captain, who told Wayne, “Don't come in here trying to be what you are. You're not gonna ‘Lil Wayne’ up this mothafucka!”

He also said that he was one of the only prisoners to receive guests regularly. They weren't just any guests, either. Wayne casually mentions names like Kanye West, Puff Daddy, and Chris Paul, all of whom braved the extensive security apparatus to visit him. "I have to give props where props are due," he wrote. "I know that they had to go through some extra shit, because you just can't walk in this bitch and say, 'I want to see Dwayne Carter.'”

Interestingly, Weezy notes how nervous he was to rap for his fellow inmates. "It's crazy that I've performed in front of millions of people since I was 8 years old, but for some reason I was nervous as hell. Rapping has always been second nature to me, but my creativity has definitely been put to a test since being in this bitch," he wrote.

Wayne's prison memoir Gone 'Til November drops on Oct. 11. You can read more the entire memoir excerpt on Vulture here.

Latest in Music