Lil Wayne is one of the most if not the most hardworking and consistent rapper in the world right now. His work ethic is unmatched among rappers. Of all the greatest rappers, Wayne influenced an entire generation of rappers. Let's be honest; no rapper has yet to achieve that feat. Most rappers influence a few rappers, but for Wayne, he changed the entire industry with his music. Wayne is a Larger Than Life persona who has amazed the rap world for decades. Some of the facts reported in this piece can be found in an article on Biography.com.

From the 1990s to today, he still goes to the studio at all times.

Even at a time like this when he cannot release music as much as he did, he always puts the time in the studio. A lot of rappers have short-lived runs, but Wayne’s run is forever. At a time when he should be considering retirement like most of his peers who’s fame have dwindled, Wayne is still going strong like its day one of his careers. He recently just released his sixth installment of the “Dedication 6” and fans were quick to hit the play button. This alone tells you the amount of influence Wayne has.

He was recently ranked No. 6 on “Hot New Hip-hop” artist with most views overall in 2017. This seems like a small feat but consider the fact that he did not release any solo project in 2017.

He also beat out Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, and Meek Mill all who released commercial albums in 2017. Wayne has influenced and continues to do so with his various personalities. His fellow rappers in the industry have complimented no rapper more than Wayne. His fellow rappers know how great he is. Below are a few things he’s influenced the rap world with.

Use of Auto-tune

People might say that it was Kanye West who pioneered auto-tune into hip-hop but even Kanye knows and has stated that Wayne changed the game with auto-tune. Since 2009, Wayne experimented with auto-tune and even released an album that went gold despite its negative reviews. “Rebirth,” the auto-tune experimentation album was an album ahead of its time.

If he had dropped it today, the record would’ve been a massive success. In the new generation of artists like Young Thug, Future, Lil Uzi, and Migos have incorporated auto-tune in their music because of the influence they acquired listening and growing up to Wayne.

Rock star Appearance

When Wayne first started rapping, he came out as a kid performing gangster rap with the “Hot Boyz” filled with grown-ups. He was the underdog in the crew. He went on to become a solo superstar with numerous hits. He had dreadlocks and wore “Bape” clothing. Wayne was the odd rapper; he always wore the weirdest outfits which further developed his brand as a “rock star.” Wayne got tatted through the years and filled most of his skin.

After he got released from prison after serving time at Riker's Island, he changed his whole wardrobe. He was wearing animal print pants with “Vans” sneakers. Years later he would debut his clothing line “Trukfit” which pretty much defined his whole style from then on.

At that same time, he picked up skateboarding and has been getting better ever since. Everything Wayne wears, eats, or does; people find appealing. No wonder every rapper, athlete or normal person tries to copy Lil Wayne style. He once addressed it on a public service announcement. I mean you don’t even have to look further information to know Wayne is the father of this new generation of rap, just look at his hair and then the hair of every new rapper for the past three years.

Wayne is indeed the first rapper to shift the whole rap industry with his style of music and personality.

Drug glorification

Whether you like it or not, give credit where it's due. Wayne rapped about drugs in his music. He is known for his undying love for weed, pain pills and “lean” and he has never been afraid to express it. We can’t blame him; he does whatever he wants, and we can’t do anything but let him be him. Recently there’s been scrutiny on rappers who glorify drugs including Wayne, Future and the entire new generation of artists. Most young rappers have decided to quit their drugs of choice to push for a sober generation. Wayne being Wayne, recently released his “Dedication 6” mix tape which had the normal amount of drug reference you’d find in a Wayne project which is a lot.

This is one of the reasons I am a fan of Wayne because he raps about what he wants. He never restricts himself.

I don’t appreciate people scrutinizing Wayne for glorifying drugs. He’s not the reason that you should be doing drugs or rapping about it. In a 2009 Grammy special interview reported by Entertainment Weekly, Wayne was once asked about his drug use and whether he sees it as a bad example to his children and fans. Wayne answered that you do not need an example to live life; if you do then you shouldn’t have been born. This could not be further from the truth. Wayne might have influenced a lot of us, but that does not mean that we should do what he does. After all, we have free will, let's use it.

Wayne has influenced so much into the rap world. If I were to write everything, I would write volumes and volumes of books. It's endless since he is still very active in the industry. Wayne is the face of rap.
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