Lil Wayne Ditches Pen And Paper For Freestyle Lyrics, Inspired By Jay-Z

In a recent episode of The Pivot Podcast on Tuesday, Lil Wayne opened up about a pivotal moment in his career when he decided to forgo writing down his lyrics after discovering that Jay-Z exclusively freestyled without relying on pen and paper.

Wayne expressed his admiration for artists like Biggie and Jadakiss, but it was Jay-Z who truly captivated him. Upon hearing that Jay-Z had abandoned traditional writing, Wayne was profoundly influenced, recalling, “I heard that n***a Jay-Z don’t write no more.”

The transformative moment occurred during a studio session where Wayne, deeply inspired, discarded his notebook and embarked on a new creative journey. It was during the creation of “10,000 Bars,” a remarkable 35-minute track from 2002, that Wayne rapped his final penned verses.

In this epic song, the former Hot Boys rapper delivered a rapid-fire succession of rhymes, discarding the pieces of paper that once held his lyrics, even causing some to be picked up by the microphone.