The primes of T.I. and Lil Wayne go almost hand in hand. For the former, the stretch from 2003’s Trap Muzik to 2008’s Paper Trail was monumental. The peak happens around 2006 with King, paired with the success of the film ATL, coming out the same day. Then, with Weezy, he had a run with the Hot Boys in the late 90s. But his prime starts to really take shape around the first installment of Tha Carter in 2004. Combined with a vast array of classic mixtapes and the massive mainstream success of Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne was a superstar.
Naturally, when discussing southern hip-hop across history, T.I. and Lil Wayne are two of the most prominent names you’ll hear. Tip has never shied from showing love to the New Orleans legend. But to say he was influenced makes him scoff. Recently, the Atlanta icon spoke with DJ Whoo Kid about being a big fan of Wayne before T.I. started rapping.
“I’m a Hot Boys fan,” he said. “I sold brack to the Hot Boys. To see what he’s become and what he’s evolved into, it’s kind of like we always knew it. But to see it come to fruition is super dope. I think he’s definitely legendary.”
T.I. scoffs at Being INfluenced by Lil Wayne
But when Whoo Kid asked if he would cite Wayne as someone who inspired him to rap, he stopped dead in his tracks. “Excuse me?” Tip asked. “Hell no. He ain’t influence me. I ain’t said no s*** like that.”
Then, the “What You Know” rapper clarifies his relationship to Lil Wayne, stressing that it’s more of a motivator than an influence or inspiration. “We do push each other,” T.I. says. “When I hear him do something dope, I say, ‘Okay, let me go do something doper.’ I think that’s what it takes to evolve and set the game on another level. I think Lil Wayne’s got his own lane and I think I got mine.”
This comes with a lot of smoke surrounding a T.I. vs Lil Wayne Verzuz matchup. Tip’s son, King Harris, said in November that he believes his dad can go “neck-and-neck” with Weezy. Meanwhile, T.I. himself told the Breakfast Club earlier this month that no one can touch him in a battle setting. “Can’t f*** with me,” he says. “Live performances. Hit for hit. There might be somebody people like better. Okay. That’s your opinion. But bottom line, can’t nobody f*** with me. Anybody who thinks that what I’m saying is some bulls***, line me up.”
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