"Bitch, I'm Me."

Lil Wayne - I'm Me



Nobody’s fucking with Lil’ Wayne, “But you already knew that”, he croons on the intro to “I’m Me”. The verses are self-esteem stampedes, Lil’ Wayne declares himself hip-hop’s referee, a presidential candidate, and God, all before he even hits the first chorus. But what’s most interesting about the first track off the Tha Carter 3: Deluxe Edition bonus disc isn’t the superlative non-sequiturs, it’s that he doesn’t really need to say he’s the best rapper alive anymore, his argument is understood. All he has to say is, “Bitch, I’m me”.

How does he manage to pull off such a minimal hook? A clue lies in the religious allusions of his verses. His claim to “Fuck’em/Even if they’re celibate” implies the Holy Spirit’s power of Immaculate Conception. “Staring at the stone/Knowing I might get through it” serves as a double entendre for both selling crack and Jesus passing through the boulder that blocked his tomb. Along with the claim of Godliness in the first verse, Lil’ Wayne has hit every angle of the Holy Trinity. Tha Carter 3 is his new testament, even the cover art, a headshot of an infant Lil’ Wayne photo-shopped to include his signature facial tattoos, alludes to predestination as heir to hip-hop’s throne.

I don’t think Lil’ Wayne is God, but the religious allusions made me realize he’s taken a page Saint Augustine for his chorus. To make it a little clearer, let’s insert Lil’ Wayne into a remix of the teleological argument:

1. Lil’ Wayne’s flow is too complex, orderly, adaptive, apparently purposeful, or beautiful to have occurred randomly or accidentally.
2. Therefore, Lil’ Wayne’s flow must have been created by a sentient, intelligent, wise, or purposeful being.
3. Lil’ Wayne is that sentient, intelligent, wise, or purposeful being.
4. Therefore, Lil’ Wayne exists.

He’s reached the highest levels of musical ubiquity, establishing himself so prominently in hip-hop’s landscape that he’s earned the right to keep it simple. The first three premises of the above argument have been so beaten to death on mixtapes and guest verses that they’re simply understood by anyone listening to Tha Carter 3. His reputation proceeds him, the myth of Lil’ Wayne casts such a shadow over catchphrases that all he really needs to say is “I’m Me”.