Lil Wayne didn’t sign with a new label. When Weezy said during a June 13 live performance that he’d signed a deal with his “idol, Jay Z,” the internet went crazy. Fans were speculating that Lil Wayne had found an “alternative” record deal through Roc Nation or Tidal. That wasn’t the case. Weezy was just excited about becoming a new co-owner of Tidal.
Lil Wayne was at the KMEL Summer Jam in Oakland, California on Saturday when he told the screaming crowd, “I just signed a deal with my m*****f*****g idol Jay Z.”
One audience member was quick enough to post an instagram video of Wayne’s announcement.
https://instagram.com/p/35yBpoSVzf/
The internet exploded. Most fans were happy that Wayne had escaped from Cash Money and were excited about the new Jay-Z connection.
Lil Wayne just signed with Jay-Z I see good things coming from that
— The 87 Experience (@TredakidKir) June 14, 2015
Some were concerned about the switch, saying that Lil Wayne should go independent.
Not sure if Lil Wayne made a good decision by signing to Jay-Z. He should be going independent
— Delusional Chelle (@Cchizzey) June 14, 2015
But Wayne’s manager, Cortez Bryant , spoke to Billboard a few hours after the concert and quickly clarified the rapper’s announcement.
“The Internet and blogs took his words out of context. When Wayne was speaking about the partnership with Jay Z, he was speaking about his new deal as an artist owner with Tidal.”
It’s understandable that people thought Wayne might have cut ties with Cash Money Records. Weezy has ongoing troubles with the record company, and the company reportedly owes him $10 million; $8 million of it from before he began recording Tha Carter V . Wayne says he’s a prisoner of Cash Money, and it’s their fault Tha Carter V still hasn’t been released.
Even though Lil Wayne might want out of the deal with Cash Money, he can’t leave if they pay up. He’s suing them for $51 million, but if the company pays him the outstanding $10 million that they owe Wayne, the payment would “essentially eliminate any breach of contract,” and the rapper is stuck in his current deal.
So, what can we expect musically from Wayne right now? There are signs that his highly anticipated Free Weezy album (#FWA) is coming soon. Lil Wayne’s “Glory” was exclusively released last week on Tidal (a streaming music service founded by Jay-Z); and two more “loose tracks in the form of remixes” showed up on DJ Stevie J’s new 38-track mixtape, Appreciation 8 .
Lil Wayne fans can depend on some new music soon. Most likely the Free Weezy album is on its way, but Tha Carter V might never see the light of day. We’ll have to wait until Wayne’s troubles with Cash Money Records are sorted out.
[Image via Anna Webber / Getty Images ]
