In a recent episode of Showtime’s All the Smoke podcast, Lil Wayne came to the defense of Ja Morant, who faced criticism and suspension for displaying a firearm on social media. The rapper shared his perspective on the controversial off-court behavior of the young NBA star, urging people to consider the circumstances before passing judgment.
Drawing from his own experiences as a rising artist surrounded by friends who lacked financial stability, Lil Wayne empathized with Ja Morant’s situation. He highlighted the challenges faced by individuals suddenly finding themselves with wealth and fame while their friends continue to struggle. Lil Wayne emphasized that he understood the allure of a rebellious attitude when encouraged by friends facing similar circumstances.
“The best I could do is remember when I was younger and my homies, my squad, my n***s around me, at the age where they don’t have money,” he said. “I’m the one with the money, and I don’t even know how much money I’ll end up with, but I’m the one with some money in my pocket — I know I got a bright future.“My homies, they ain’t on a payroll. They my homies, they live good when they with me. When I gotta go to work and all that, they gotta go back to being who they gotta be. So what I’m saying that to say, they in them streets and I was aware of that.”He continued: “So if I was going through something at that point in time, something public what slime going through, I could imagine the rebellious attitude I would have if my homies is egging that attitude on.”
Moreover, Lil Wayne pointed out that Ja Morant hails from a small town and has quickly ascended to stardom, accompanied by millions of dollars. Reflecting on his own upbringing in a loving family, Lil Wayne emphasized that outsiders may not fully understand Ja Morant’s background and the pressures he faces. He questioned whether people truly know the NBA star beyond his athletic prowess, given his relatively recent rise to fame.
“Do y’all know that boy? ‘Cause I don’t,” he said. “I know him from dunking and jumping, and I only started knowing him when I started paying attention to him in his last year of college. He come from like a town with 3,000 people. Like, what? What y’all expect? Y’all gave him $200 million.“I just said a town with 3,000 people. You expect him to be responsible? Now we tripping. That’s magic. ‘Cause I could tell you now, I come from a real well-raised, beautiful mother, nice, you know what I mean? My mama would bust her ass to make sure everything around me was nice, and I still was a knucklehead. I shot myself.” And that young man, I could imagine if I came from a fucking place with 3,000 people, and I became who I am.”
Lil Wayne’s Interview:
Lil Wayne shared his own struggles with firearms, acknowledging that even with a supportive upbringing, he made reckless decisions. He highlighted the challenges of expecting responsibility from someone who comes from a small town with limited exposure to the world yet suddenly finds themselves in the spotlight. The rapper emphasized the magic of such a transformation and the potential difficulties associated with it.
To gain further insight into Ja Morant’s mindset, Lil Wayne discussed the issue with his associates, including Gudda Gudda and other young artists from Young Money. While they couldn’t provide a definitive answer, they recognized Ja Morant’s basketball talent but were unsure of his behavior outside the court. Lil Wayne stressed that being an exceptional athlete didn’t necessarily translate to being an exemplary role model in other aspects of life.
The Memphis Grizzlies responded to the incident by suspending Ja Morant from all team activities following a similar suspension just two months prior. The organization took swift action to address the concerns raised by the gun-related incidents involving their All-Star guard.
