What Does Jail Time Mean for Lil Wayne's Career?

By PopEater Staff Posted Mar 2nd 2010 08:00AM

In just a few hours, Lil Wayne will start serving a year-long prison sentence for a criminal weapons possession charge. While the media speculates about the treatment the 27-year-old rap megastar will receive in jail, we have to wonder: How's the time behind bars going to affect the career of the prolific artist, who recorded his first hit at age 15 and released the bestselling album of 2008, 'Tha Carter III'?

Better Than Ever
Lil Wayne is renowned for nonstop recording and an endless torrent of ideas -- he tours with a recording studio on wheels and has delayed record releases due to hot new tracks he's psyched about. Being unable to record for months on end should crystallize the rapper's ideas and result in some of his strongest, most put-together material to date. Also consider Lil Wayne doesn't write down his lyrics -- "ain't got time," he explained on 'A Milli' -- making it a safe bet that whatever lines Weezy stores in his brain for a year will become hard-hitting songs that put the infectious 'Lollipop' to shame.

Attitude Shift
"I am a gangsta. I don't take nothing from no one," Lil Wayne told Katie Couric in 2009. "I do what I wanna do. And I'm gonna do that until the day I die, and if I can't do that, then I'll just die." Adhering to the authority and regimented schedule of prison life (outlined Monday on MTV.com) will either reform this rebel sentiment or compound it. Either way, facing authority and dealing with massive amounts of alone time will indubitably tweak Weezy's perspective. Will it be on par with David Bowie's turn as Ziggy Stardust or Bob Dylan's Christian phase? Time will tell.

Big(ger) Success
Weezy's latest album, the rock-tinged 'Rebirth,' has paled in critical comparison to 2008's 'Tha Carter III,' the Grammy winner for Best Rap Album and a nominee for Album of the Year. Wayne intends to release the hotly-anticipated 'Tha Carter IV' shortly after his release in early 2011. His prison stint will pique media curiosity -- Paris Hilton did 23 days and we all remember that Larry King interview -- and fans new and old will be dying to hear how Weezy sets the experience to sound.

Video Reminders
As PopEater previously reported, Wayne shot nine music videos in 48 hours last week, setting himself up to remain in the spotlight, and maybe even rack up a major hit or two, while behind bars. Regardless of what happens in the next 12 months, one thing is certain, Weezy isn't really going anywhere -- and he may emerge bigger than ever.

UPDATE: First Lil Wayne postponed his jail time for extensive dental work, now his sentence has been delayed a second time due to a fire in the Manhattan courthouse where Weezy's sentencing was set to occur. The New York Times reports that the fire was extinguished in 45 minutes, but the building was closed for the remainder of the day. A court official told TMZ Lil Wayne will be sentenced tomorrow, "unless the hand of God comes down and saves him yet again."

Tags: jail, Lil Wayne, weezy

Comments

(51)

Tuesday 02 March

By Robert

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Maybe he will have atime to get a nother tat on his face,he just thinks he's a gangest till he gets in the big house.

By Tasha

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Just black trash, trash like this makes all of us blacks look bad!

By cj

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I like Wayne. And at least he isn't fussing around and whining about his sentence.
He will be OK. He's a survivor.

By Marcus

That dude looks like a damn ugly ghetto hoe ... lmaooo

By NiHi

I hope he gets lost in population and is never heard from again!!!

By borntalent

They should add to his sentence ofr Killing Hiphop!!
He can take his autotune with him.. FAKE Gangsta!!

By hunkindoo1

Buy, Buy ghetto thug boy!!!!!!!!!

By cassideee2

Hopefully we won't have to hear anything at all from this loser. That he recorded 9 videos, presumably to be released while he's in the Big House, I suppose we'll still be hearing from him. And of course there'll be the reports about his fights with other inmates, his isolation and subsequent depression... maybe he'll do the world a favor and 'just die' like he wants to since he won't be able to 'do what he wants, when he wants.' We should be so lucky...

By poppyisms

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Considering his audience, I'm sure a prison sentence is a boost to his "career". Morons.

By rl

I am sure he is looked at as a role model.Will increase his cd sales.But then I see everything through rose colored glasses.

By David

well..well..well.. ya can give them all the fame and money in the world...ya can take the bear out of the woods but ya cant take the woods out of the bear...shwoog

By pugz

doan you mean da thug outta da ghetto? hopefully bubba will take good care of him while he's being passed around for packs of smokes and sqealling like a pig!

"I am a gangsta. I don't take nothing from no one," Lil Wayne told Katie Couric in 2009. "I do what I wanna do. And I'm gonna do that until the day I die, and if I can't do that, then I'll just die."

R I P

Thursday 04 March

By frank

i think ,he need the spirit of god in him so that he will know that if he be for god no body can take what he has.

By casey

I can't believe all of you are talking crap about someone who is such a great writer I bet everyone of you listen and LIKE his music.. there is nothing wrong with lil wayne.... Well I hope he makes it even BIGGER then before because his music is the best! He put Louisiana back on the map and I'm proud of him. He made our state great!

By Jessica

I'm with you. I bet he will blow up even more after he get's out of jail. How can people be so hateful towards a man who's music they don't even listen to?

By maddie

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@casey, ur wrong Boo, KATRINA put Louisiana on the map, a natural disater, The Saints came in as a blessing for Louisiana, Lil Wayne, he is, was, and will only be the confirmation of what is keeping our YOUNG MEN from real success.

By istudyrap

He as in a so called gangsta, killer, gobling, and drug dealer made your state great. SMH! man do u not have any parents? this guy is crap he has no content, hes not that deep and besides all that he dosent give a rats ass about you or your state trust me ive done shows with this moron and ive heard alot of inside garbage from these guys all the way from there hot boys days so if you must praise someone try taking up a relegion you people r taking this rap crap 2 far.

By curtis

I take it that you don't have any children because if you did they need to throw you in a cell right next to him for mentally abusing you child (via allowing them to list to his crap...not music)

By jeff

No, I dont listen to his music and dont like it, anyone with half a brain knows his music is garbage. He is not a great writer name one thoughtfull & meaningfull song he has made? A Mili is the dumbest song ever I would rather listen to disco then that song.

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