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Chasing Lil Wayne: Missed Interviews, All-Night Studio Sessions, Brutal Honesty

Lil Wayne goes deep on making 'That Carter VI,' getting passed over for the Super Bowl halftime show, fatherhood, that photo with Trump, and more

“If there’s one thing about this album that’s different, it’s me approaching it like, ‘Man, what would I sound like on something with such and such?’ ” Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus make appearances, but the most unexpected guest I hear is Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli, who sings “Ave Maria” on another track. They play me the pensive track at Tree Sound, and as it concludes, Wayne stands with his hands out in front of him and his mouth in a firm circle, mimicking Bocelli’s elongated “ oh ” vocal run as if he was center stage at Teatro alla Scala. We schedule another Zoom for the following Tuesday, but it gets canceled an hour beforehand, one of his publicists apologetically citing “new personal developments that may cause delays.” After three cross-country trips, fleeing a wildfire, and numerous enervating waits, I feel the biggest story of my career slipping through my grasp for reasons I can’t discern.

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