The famous 2009 interview between former network anchorwoman, Katie Couric, and rapper Lil Wayne wasn’t just your regular, routine interview. The two forged an unexpected bond that’s spanned over the past 4 years. Now, he’s stopped by Couric’s syndicated talk show “Katie”, bringing her up to speed with the latest happenings in “Wayne’s world”. From discussing his growing desire to retirement from music, to his bouts with epilepsy, Wayne laid it all out on the table with Katie Couric.
For the very first time, Wayne revealed to Couric why he chose to drop out of high school. When asked if he regretted his decision to drop out, Wayne coolly replied, “Not at all … I mean, kids, please finish high school. And all my kids, you are finishing high school!” He went on to state that he was already a multi-platinum selling artist, with a stable career, at the time he made the decision to drop out. The decision to drop out was one he and his mother made collectively.
Wayne went on to confront the questions surrounding his health. Over the past few months, things have been quite challenging for the YMCMB CEO, as he’s suffered several epileptic complications. When Couric inquired about his health, Wayne had no problem filling her in on his situation. He touched on his recent health scares which center around epilepsy, seizures, and his addiction to ‘syrup’. Syrup, which consists of prescription-strength, codeine and promethazine cough syrup and Sprite or Mountain Dew, has been a widely publicized substance Wayne has made lyrical reference to on several occasion. A self-proclaimed extremist, Wayne openly admitted to his battle with the substance abuse of syrup. Over a four-month span, Wayne has been hospitalized on a number of occasions due to seizures. During one hospital stay at the Los Angelos Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Wayne spent six days in ICU as a result of multiple seizures. Unfortunately, his recovery wasn’t persistent, because he was faced with yet another seizure that landed him back in the hospital again on April 30th. Wayne went on to tell Couric that he has no recollection of the seizures he’s experienced.
“I told them the other day, ‘Y’all can tell me right now that y’all was lying, like, ‘You know what? We lyin’ ain’t nothin,’ and I’d have to believe them because I don’t know. I go to sleep and wake up in the hospital. I don’t feel anything. I just hope it stops happening.”
When the seizures became more frequent, he initially cut back on his syrup intake. Then, he admitted that he had only traded one vise for another, substituting syrup for pain pills which also contain codeine. It hasn’t been clearly specified if excessive amounts of codeine are contributing factors to his battle with the unprovoked seizures. Wayne went on to assure Couric that he has now stopped drinking syrup altogether, crediting his doctors whom urged his mother to assist him in making the decision to abstain. His mother spoke, and he definitely took heed to her warning. According to Vibe Magazine, Wayne also expounded upon his hopes to retire within the next few years. Now at age 30, Wayne plans to go into retirement within the next five years with hopes of being completely out of the game by age 35.
The memorable moments of the interview centered around Wayne and Couric’s glints of comedic banter and blatant camaraderie. Couric presented Wayne with a customized “Katie” branded skateboard, and she even went so far as to trick out her 2005 minivan in his honor.
Image Via WikiMedia Commons
