In this terrific article Ann Powers at the Seattle Times breaks down everything Lil Wayne said to me during the filming of The Carter about his idea of what a new millennium artist has to be. (Some of which is in the actual film, though most is on the cutting room floor).

I’m paraphrasing but Wayne believes that to succeed in this new decade musicians must be able to do it all: sing, rap, dance, act, everything all at once. That’s a superstar. Anyone else will get left behind. Authenticity, once the cornerstone of his identity and career, has been replaced by style and the ability to adapt and “be good everything” as he put it.

RE: Ann Powers’ notion of the displacement of authenticity, I grew up in an era of hip hop and grunge when authenticity was everything. If you weren’t “keepin’ it real” you were immediately dismissed (see 3rd Bass’ video for “Pop Goes the Weasel” for an interesting example of white rappers calling out another white rapper for not being “real” enough). But “Keepin’ it real” is now seen as old fashioned and, worse, close-minded by this new generation of kids. “Gangster Rap” or “Grunge” is just a style that an artist might flip for a moment, but nothing more than that. As I told hip hop writer Davey D recently I believe for artists in the future hip hop will be nothing but a “coat that they put on every once in a while.” But I actually think we’re already past that point and things are getting even more specific. Case in point Lil B. “My MySpace on Fire” is late 90’s New Orleans Gangster Rap. “Get Racks” is Progressive House and “Im God” is unclassifiable (sampling Imogen Heap) so much so that a recent YouTube comment read: “I HATE THIS RAPPER IS THIS EVEN RAPPIN”? Yes and No should be the answer to that question. More to the point - this is basically the future and everyone needs to get used to it and adapt real fast or get left behind.