Same Old Song: Lil Wayne Headed To Prison
Untie my hands- Lil Wayne going to Prison!
Super rapper Lil Wayne has pleaded guilty to attempted weapons possession charges and faces 1 year in prison. As AllHipHop.com reported yesterday, Lil Wayne is facing about a year in prison but will likely only serve 8 months. The plea stems from a 2007 incident in which police found a gun on his tour bus…
Thugs wanna be rappers and rappers wanna be thugs but really who wants to go to prison? My heart goes out to Wayne’s kids who will miss him during his lockdown. Some of you may know that I used to own Mad Rhythms, a hip hop/entertainment magazine, in the 90′s. And one of the reasons that I lost interest in the entertainment business is because I absolutely hated it when artists couldn’t respect or protect their blessings. Examples: Jay-Z stabbing Lance “Un” Rivera; TI buying guns from the feds, Cool C and Steady B robbing banks, etc. Most artists fight tooth and nail to get to be recognized and paid as an artist so why do they throw it away with dumb *ish like gun charges or being violent?
When I was in high school, I did a rap demo. I can’t remember the name of the song, but it was hot. So I have an affinity for female rappers. That love means that I hate the fact that Foxy Brown, Lil Kim, Da Brat and Remy Ma have all been to prison–with the two latter still being in there. It breaks my heart. Why work so hard to make it as a female rapper and then do something stupid [hit a nail tech with a cell phone, hit a waitress over the head with a bottle, or lie under oath] ? It doesn’t calculate.
So for my young’uns out there, I say to you: If you aspire to be an artist, protect your life and creativity by not doing dances with the criminal justice system. Prison is not a place for artists.
Below I’ve added Tie My Hands featuring Robin Thicke. Its one of my favorite Lil Wayne songs
Below I’ve added Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” video because I like that song. But even A Milli or A Billi couldn’t beat those gun charges…. Sad. Sad. Sad.
About the Author
Yasmin Shiraz is the President of Still Eye Rise Films, an independent production company which films educational and thought provoking documentaries that chronicle the lives, traumas and experiences of youth. Her first production, Can She Be Saved?, a documentary that examines violence among middle school girls, was an official selection of the 2009 Roxbury Film Festival and recently won a 2009 Indie Award of Merit from IndieFest.
Yasmin Shiraz is the Award winning Author of Retaliation a novel about a community’s response to youth violence. In 2009, it was selected as one of the top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers by the American Library Association. She is the author of The Blueprint for My Girls: How To Build A Life Full of Courage, Determination & Self Love (Simon and Schuster) and five other books. Her best selling “Blueprint” empowerment series is utilized as a self esteem, motivational, and educational tool at middle and high schools, after school programs, non-profit youth centers, as well as Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the country. 
3 Comments for Same Old Song: Lil Wayne Headed To Prison
October 22, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Enjoyed your post! When did prison become a synonym for rap artist? I just don’t get it! It’s sad and disturbing, but we will most defintely have to encourage the youngins that they don’t have to compromise their talent/capabilities for a stint in prison!
October 22, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Interesting thoughts…I felt the same, until I just read someone else, having the same opinion. Now, the problem that exist, is bigger than an individual being an artist … so many of us, are artist by nature, but that doesnt take precedence over what our environment is teaching us..or what we chose to learn from that environment. Education is the key, for our youth, and peers to stay away from acts that will imprison them. So, having the oppurtunity to be in the entertainment biz is not a substitute for the education necessary…It’s showbiz, and whatever sells, is what you are pumped up to be! holla
October 22, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I’m not that familiar with the case, but it underscores the increasing number of African American Entertainers who are falling victim to bad choices. The young will use this incident as a badge of courage in some respects, or just making the grade. It just saddens me when families are impacted in a negative way. Great post, Yasmin.