Lil Wayne's mother makes several "spoken word" appearances on his new album Tha Carter V; she even kicks off the proceedings with a heartfelt message of support to her son, whom she still refers to by his given name of Dwayne (d'uh). The message goes a little something like this:
"Lil Wayne, mama proud of you. You done came so far. I can't wait for your album to come out," she says. "A lot of people ask me when it's coming out. They can't wait for your album to come out. I'm just proud of you. You's my rock [...] I just pray things go well with you in life. But I thank the lord, because I know you have been through a lot that I don't even know about. Mama love you. I love you Dwayne, with all my heart. You is my life I live for you."
Her next overture is at the tail end of "Open Letter," which serves as a reconciliatory message to the interconnected pathways of Weezy's support system, of which Jacida Carter is the central unit. The recording encompasses words of encouragement Weezy received from his mother follwing news of his teenage pregnancy with "Toya" Wright, mother to Reginae.
"You know when he told me that Toya was having a baby, I said, 'Y'all young. Y'all young, but be the best father you can be," she is recorded saying. "And, truly, he is that."
Again, her voice is heard on "Hittas" where she lauds her child's precocious talents.
"He's a very a smart child. And I just say he was a genius, you know what I'm sayin? Which I used to pray—I asked the lord to send me one. And he did. He's so smart, I can't teach him nothing. He done been there before."
In "Used 2," Jacida recapitulates a scary moment when Weezy shot himself (with a gun) as a child. The scary incident left a mark on her years to come.
"I still don't know today. Was he playing with the gun or was it an accident I still ... I just don't I ... I be wanting to ask him but I never asked him out all these years. Was that a accident or did he... or was he playing with the gun? So I never really found out about what—you know, what happ- what really happened with him and that shooting."
Jacida's involvement one the project is but one reason why Tha Carter V is deeply evocative on a personal level, like nothing before it on Weezy's record. Like any "support system" with the good sense to help an ailing family member, Jacida has been the bedrock behind Lil Wayne's shaky foundation for X amount of years, it's now more clear than ever.
