Ya Heard: Judging Lil’ Wayne’s ‘greatness’ factor

Dennis Winn/Columnist
Published: June 12, 2008

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

-- Mahatma Gandhi

With the release of Lil' Wayne's latest LP "The Carter III," on pace to sell close to 900,000 copies this week, the time has come to thoroughly evaluate his impact on hip-hop. Wayne's talent and credibility as a rooted emcee has made him a unique and heralded artist.

Blinging his way into America's heart as a member of the Louisiana-based Hot Boys group, a then 14-year-old Wayne quickly became the coolest teen on television. Following the group's disbandment, Wayne translated that success into a thriving solo career.

Fast forward 10 years and Wayne is the self-proclaimed greatest emcee in the game— a claim a new generation of hip-hoppers seems to agree with. His swagger and work ethic are reminiscent of the late great Tupac Shakur. His mixtape run rivals that of an up-and-coming 50 Cent. His plethora of guest appearances over the last few years is something that has never before been seen in hip-hop. However, does this make him the greatest?

The answer to this question may be found in the past versus the present. The difference between the two would suggest that when compared to current artists, Wayne is a heavyweight contender. Yet placed alongside legends, he's barely making weight for the lightweight division. This may be an unfair comparison for Weezy, but his claims to be the greatest are a

little premature and unjustified. Wayne may be this generation's Jay Z, but he's no Jay Z. He's no Pac, he's no Scarface; he's simply Lil' Wayne.

To his credit, he has created his own niche with his creativity and amazing flow. There is no denying his talent and hard work, but the timing of his arrival on the hip-hop scene has helped him more than anything else in being considered a hip-hop great. If Wayne is seen as a hip-hop great, then that is saying more about the current state of the game coupled with the hip-hop audience's short memory than it does about Lil' Wayne greatness.

The man is an amazing talent and continues to influence the game more than anyone in hip-hop right now. Nevertheless there is still a great deal of artistic growth and quality albums to be completed before he can be crowned the "king," "greatest," or "best" of anything. Wayne has the potential to be another planet in hip-hop's galaxy, but this fans need a little more to be convinced of that reality.

R. Kelly Update

Closing arguments in the R. Kelly child pornography trial are set to begin today. Kelly was charged with 14 counts of child pornography after a videotape surfaced allegedly showing the R&B legend having sexual relations with an underage teenage girl. The girl in question has denied it is she on the tape. In what has been three weeks of legal sparring between the prosecution and defense, Kelly's fate is just about ready to be placed in the hands of the jury.

Thus far, the jury has seen a number of witnesses testify the girl on the tape is in fact the same girl whom the prosecution claims it is and that she was 14 or 15 years of age when the footage was originally recorded. Some of these witnesses included former basketball coaches, relatives, and even the alleged girl's former best friend.

The jury also heard from an expert witness, who deemed the videotape authentic and stated that there was no way the tape was altered. The jury also heard from a Lisa Van Allen, who testified she participated in sexual relations with both Kelly and the alleged underage teen around the time the footage is believed to have been recorded.

R. Kelly's defense team provided relatives of the alleged girl, who testified that it was not she on the tape. Furthermore, the defense claims the tape was altered in an attempt to extort money from Mr. Kelly. It provided its own "video expert," (though less qualified than the prosecution's expert) who testified, contrary to the prosecution, the tape could have been altered.

In a nutshell, the evidence stacked against Kells may be detrimental to his freedom. Yet this is America, and when it comes to the rich and famous, stranger things have happened in a court of law. A verdict is expected sometime next week.

Hip-Hop Trivia

On what album can you find the songs "Do My Thing," "Abandon Ship" and "The Finish Line?"

Be the 12th person to send me an e-mail with the correct answer and receive two free AMC movie tickets courtesy of the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger … until next week, peace!

Dennis Winn can be reached at 703-400-8301 or .