Q&A: Lil Wayne on Weed, Jay-Z and Rhyming on Answering Machines

You did over a hundred guest appearances in the last year and a half. What's the strangest request you've ever got?
I get some crazy people asking me to do songs. The strangest one was probably Trina's single, she asked to jump on "Single Again" when clearly [our breakup] was the subject of the song. That was kinda weird, but I did it.

How do you feel about Obama getting the nomination?
It means a whole lot to me, being African-American and being 25 years of age, to live and breathe in this day and time and see history being made. Whether he wins it or not, this is history. I was just talking about that yesterday, in our lifetimes, we're able to see a whole lot of history and it's wonderful.

You used to leave raps on Cash Money CEO Baby's answering machine. What did you say?
Yeah, they were real raps, not like, "Hello, I'm leaving a message." Every time he saw me, he asked me to rap so whenever I called him and he didn't pick up, I'd leave a rap. I was about 12, I didn't understand that no grown-ass man wants you calling his phone all day. That's why I got the voice mail a lot.

How did you come up with the album cover?
I just wanted to put my baby picture up there like Nas and Biggie did — all those albums when people did that, they were memorable, legendary albums. You don't forget those albums. The tattoo idea came later. I just thought it would be funny.

Are you addicted to tattoos?
Yeah, I am. I just got two or three of them yesterday. I get em every other day, it's really not even a question.

When did you have your first joint?
I was probably about 11. It was before Cash Money. It was me and some niggas who had been smoking for years, so I had to act like I had been too. I grew up pretty fast. I ran with an older crowd. Childhood never was exciting to me and it still isn't.

Does smoking so much weed have any side effects?
Yeah, I forget a lot of shit. but that's why I have assistants and they have assistants, so I'll be all right. I don't forget any of my money, that's the most important part.