Lil Wayne has responded to the eighth-grade English teacher in Florida who used lyrics to one of his songs as a homework assignment, and the rapper is certainly no fan of the edgy curriculum.
The Louisiana-native was interviewed on a recent episode of ESPN’s “First Take” and showed no support for the teacher who used his lyrics in the classroom, especially not lyrics from a song like “6 Foot, 7 Foot.”
Lil Wayne said that he’s never embarrassed by his lyrics, but he isn’t writing music for young kids to listen to.
“I’d never be embarrassed by anything I say because I say it and I mean it,” he said. “But I don’t think that kids – I mean, I don’t think that you should be trying to teach it in any way to kids because I don’t record it and say it for kids to listen to it, but they will hear it.”
He explained that he believes there is a difference between a child happening to hear one of his songs, and actually forcing a child to analyze his lyrics.
“But it’s a difference between hearing and listening,” he added. “You know? So, not that it’s OK for them to hear it, but if they hear it, then so be it. They hear it. But when you’re trying to teach them to listen to it, that’s a difference and I don’t try to teach them that.”
The rapper admitted that his songs are about behavior that are part of his life, but he would never want kids to learn too much about that particular lifestyle.
“I do what I do and I don’t think that’d be right to try to teach kids about what I’m saying,” he added.
The homework assignment was given to the children (ages 13-14) at the Charter School of Boynton Beach to help them identify literary devices like metaphors and similes.
According to the school’s headmaster, Wayne Owens, the students had been introduced to works from Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe, but still struggled to grasp the concepts.
Using familiar music to teach the lesson was the teacher’s attempt to make the material relatable, but the lyrics from this particular song had parents outraged.
“Excuse my charisma, vodka with a spritzer/ Swagger down pat, call my s** Patricia,” is the very first line in the song before he later raps, “Got the girl twisted ‘cause she open when you twist her/ never met the b**** but I f*** her like I missed her.”
The song goes on to describe various explicit sexual acts, violence and drug use.
The teacher has been suspended and Owens explained that the use of the lyrics had not been approved by the school.
