Dissect - MX1E3 - "6 Foot 7 Foot" by Lil Wayne

Episode Date: April 18, 2023

Our "Lyrical Masters" mixtape continues with a line-by-line dissection of Lil Wayne's first song released after his stint in prison - 2010's "6 foot 7 Foot." Follow @dissectpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Host/Writer/EP: Cole Cuchna Producer: Justin Sayles Audio Editing: Kevin Pooler Theme Music: Birocratic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2008, Lil Wayne was the best rapper alive. Coming off an incredible mixtape run, Wayne released the studio album the Carter 3 in the summer of 08, selling over a million copies in its first week. Its lead single, Lollipop, was a crossover hit that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. At the same time, the song Amilli was a raw, bar-heavy street favor that reached number 6, proving that Wayne's elite lyricism alone could carry a song into the mainstream. The Carter 3 would go on to become the top-selling album of any genre in 2008, earning him eight Grammy nominations. By 2009, Wayne had achieved the rare trifecta of being critically acclaimed, commercially successful and respected by the streets.

The hot boy was hotter than hot. He was scorching. And then... Lil Wayne pleads guilty to attempted weapon possession and is expected to receive a one-year jail sentence. Police said a gun was found on his tour bus in Manhattan in 2007. Prosecutors said small amounts of DNA found on the loaded weapon connected it to the platinum-selling artist.

On March 9, 2010, Lil Wayne entered a jail cell in New York City's Rikers Island, beginning a one-year sentence for this 2007 weapons charge. And just like that, hottest rapper alive had been put on ice. Before going to Rikers, however, Wayne made it clear he had every intention of keeping his skill sharp, telling Rolling Stone, quote, I'll still be rapping in there, I'll have a gang of raps ready when I come back home, unquote. And according to Hot 97's Saifa sounds, Wayne stayed true to his word. As a couple of people who are hired,

they sit in a studio 24 hours a day and wait for Wayne to call. When Wayne calls, they just record, and everything he's been writing, he records it so he can hear. He can hear. he or how he had it in his mind. Wayne was released from Rikers on November 4th, 2010, after serving nine months of his one-year sentence. Less than five days later, a picture surfaced online showing Wayne inside a vocal booth in Miami, where he'd reportedly spent 15 hours straight recording.

Three days after that, Wayne's manager told Rolling Stone that his comeback single was done and could drop as soon as the next day. The song didn't actually come out the next day, but the seed had been planted, beginning what would become a month-long wait for Wayne's first new track since being released, least from prison. During that time, as anticipation grew, the song took on an almost

mythical-like reputation. Rumor had it, the track was, quote, Amelie on steroids, a pretty bold claim given that Amelie was considered one of the best rap songs of the past decade. On December 14, Wayne called into Hot 9-7 and spoke to DJ Drama, who asked him directly what to expect from this rumored new song. It's a monster, actually. It's a beast, but I hope, hopefully, hopefully it shows people wear a mac lyrically. So let me start right there. Where do you, like, where would you say you're at lyrically right now?

Better than everybody. MacMaine talked to MTV and he said this was like a millie on steroids. Can you confirm that? Nah, not steroids. Human girl, hormone. It's a very tall song, brother. Just hours after this interview, Wayne's new song leaked on the internet before being officially released on December 16th, 2010.

True to Wayne's word, it was a very big. very tall song, 6'7 to be exact. The best rapper alive was finally back, but was he still the best rapper alive? And after nearly a year behind bars, what did he have to say? From Spotify, this is Dissect, long-form musical analysis broken into short digestible episodes. For the third song in our Lyrical Master's mixtape, we're dissecting Lil' Wayne's 2010 track 6'7 foot. I'm your host, Cole Kushna.

6' 7 foot was produced by Bangladesh, who also produced Wayne's Amili. The song centers around looping samples from Jamaican-American singer Harry Belafonte's Banana Boat song of 1956. While today, many people may recognize this song from the classic film Beetlejuice, Belafonte's Banana Boat actually has a rich history. The song is a calypso rendition of a traditional Jamaican work song from the early 20th century, which Belafonte wanted to use as a way of introducing America to the rich culture of the Caribbean, hoping to dispel the stereotypes that the people there were, quote, rum drinking, sex-crazed, and lazy. Displaying the Caribbean people's work ethic, banana boat is sung from the perspective of dock workers,

loading bananas onto ships all night to avoid the heat during the day. At daylight, they look forward to the Talleyman arriving, who will take inventory so they can go home. While it doesn't appear in Wayne's 6'7 foot, The well-known refrain, it's daylight, and we want to go home, makes for a perfect thematic backdrop for his first song after a stint in jail, where he was also waiting to go home. There's also an interesting musical lineage to observe here when we consider that Wayne was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's here that Afro-Caribbean music found a home

in America and eventually influenced the emergence of jazz and other genres born in New Orleans. Meanwhile, the creation of hip-hop owes a lot to Caribbean influences, which was most notably embodied by early hip-hop pioneers DJ Cool Herk and African Bambata, who proudly reped their Jamaican heritage. In this way, 6'7 foot inherently represents a rich musical history in centuries-long lineage of black music, as we have a traditional Jamaican work song from the early 20th century, repurposed an Ecclipso hit single by a Jamaican-American singer in the mid-20th century, which is itself repurposed in a hip-hop hit single by a New Orleans rapper in the early 21st century. Now there are two specific passages from Belafonte's Banana Boat

song sampled in 6'7. The first is from a description of tall stacks of bananas. This sample is sped up and filtered to create this 4 bar loop. The second sample of banana boat comes from this portion of the song. Stack banana till the morning come. A small excerpt of this clip undergoes the same process as the first to create this loop. The two sample loops alternate throughout the track, set against classic low-end 8-0. and percussive haze performed by producer Bangladesh himself. Before we hear this beat kick in, 6'7 foot begins with a building snare drum fill,

where we hear Wayne's iconic lighter flick tag. We have to imagine the Pavlonian sensation this sound inspired in Wayne fans at the time, fans who've been salivating for new Wayne music in anticipation of what he'd have to say after being released from jail. Wayne doesn't make them wait any longer than necessary, as no more than five seconds into the track does he launch into an onslaught of entendres. After clearing his throat, Wayne begins the verse, Excuse My Charisma. Given the context of this song's release, we might wonder if clearing his throat was a tongue-in-cheek gesture to acknowledge his absence, as you usually have to clear your throat when you haven't spoken in some time.

Also, it's common for people to say, excuse me after clearing their throat, so it feels like the opening line, Excuse My Charisma is a play to that end. At the same time, excuse my absence is a common saying, which would have been a fitting way to start the song given the circumstances. But in true Wayne form, he twists the first. phrase we expect to surprise us. In this case, he boasts about his charisma, his special magnetic charm and presence. He continues referencing a vodka spritzer, perhaps a celebratory drink or toast to his release and return to music. He then boasts Swagger Down Pat, call my shit Patricia. Down Pat means to have

something thoroughly mastered, while Pat is a common nickname for Patricia. We also know that Wayne loves a good shit analogy, so we suspect that along with his vodka spritzer, he's downing so much swag that he's literally shitting it out and naming that shit, Patricia. Wayne then wraps Young Money Militia and I am the commissioner. Young Money, of course, refers to the record label Wayne founded himself, making him the commissioner. Meanwhile, militia is a nod to the crew militia music that included Corey Guns, the rapper featured at the end of 6'7 and whom Wayne had just signed to Young Money in 2010. Wayne continues the military militia motif with the next line, you don't want to start with Weezy because the F is for Finisher. The play here is on start and finish,

with finisher alluding to death, like a pro wrestler or video game character's finishing move. Wayne is also evoking one of its many nicknames, Weezy F Baby. He first introduced this nickname all the way back in 2004 on the song, to Droud. My name happens to be Weezy F baby. Amen. The F is for you to find out, man. Since this song, fans have been trying to figure out what exactly the F stands for, as Wayne seems to change the meaning of the initial every time he mentions it.

Weezy F, the F is for fuck what you're going through. To date F is for F for F's Frii's F, and the F is for front, though. Wee's an F, baby. The F is for forensics and the F is for fuck yourself. To date, there are nearly 40 different definitions of what the F stands for,

including Six Foot's Finisher, which we also recognize could contain the homonym finish ya. Perhaps building on the fact that nobody truly knows the actual definition of the F in his name, Wayne says, so misunderstood,

but what's the world without enigma? Along with his intentionally ambiguous nicknames, Wayne has long branded himself as both misunderstood and an alien. His most recent album at the time of Six Foot's release was titled I Am Not a Human Being. He also has the word misunderstood tattooed on his face and the Carter 3 featured a song titled Misunderstood. Next we get the threesome pun, two bitches at the same time synchronized swimmers, which plays off two different definitions of same time, one meaning at once and the other meaning in rhythm or in unison. He continues the sex bars, got the girl twisted because she opened when you twist her. It seems he's toying with the

idea of a Coke bottle body, a phrase used to describe curvy women. As such, Wayne uses the idea of twisting them open like a soda bottle top, with open being a sexual innuendo. At the same time, he could also be describing a woman who's horny when she's twisted under the influence. Finally, Wayne caps off the sex bars with, never met the bitch, but I fuck her like I missed her. This plays with a paradox of supposedly never having met this woman, but also having passionate sex with her, as if they were lovers separated for a long time. Wayne, of course, is boasting about his promiscuity, having sex with women he barely knows. But like Finisher also sounding like finish ya, Mr. also sounds like her mister. In other words, despite barely knowing her, Wayne's so good

in bed that he still knows how to please her like they've been together for years. Never met the bitch, but I fuck her like I missed her. Life is the bitch, and death is her sister. Sleep is the cousin. What a fucking family picture. You know for all the time. Wayne continues the verse with an extended family analogy, rapping, Life is the bitch and Death is her sister. Sleep is the cousin. What a fucking family picture.

Cleverly, Wayne here links the previous reference to having sex with two women simultaneously to this female personification of mortality. Wayne also seems to be quoting two well-known tracks from Nas' classic album, Illmatic. From the song NY State of Mind, Nause Rhaps one of the most iconic lines in hip-hop history. A Never Sleep, because Sleep is the cousin of death.

Sleep is the cousin of death is actually a Congolese proverb. The base level play is that sleep is an unconscious-like state that resembles the ultimate unconsciousness of death. But Nas uses the phrase to describe his mentality growing up in New York, where the one-eye open sense of paranoia is common. In Naz's case, he takes it one step further, claiming to never sleep, using the slang definition of sleep to portray himself as someone who never gets caught being inattentive or negligent in his affairs, as it would leave him vulnerable to harm. The third layer of the line is revealed when we think of the song's title, NY State of Mind,

as New York's nickname is The City That Never Sleeps. The song that directly follows NY State of Mind on Illmatic is Life's a Bitch, which Wayne also cites. This iconic chorus, Life's a Bitch and Then You Die, borrows another classic idiom to relate the inherent suffering of life and the unsympathetic attitude of death. Thus we see how Wayne consolidates both of these classic lines to create an extremely concise portrait. Life is the bitch and death is their sister.

Sleep is the cousin, what a fucking family picture. He continues to build on the analogy with, You know Father Time, and we all know Mother Nature, it's all in the family, but I am of no relation. With Father Time relating to death and mother nature the giver of life, Wayne is once again playing with mortal dualities while also referencing the classic TV sitcom all in the family. The punchline, but I Am No Relation, continues the enigma I am not a human being motif,

implying that the typical limitations of life and death do not apply to a Martian like Wayne. Returning to the celebratory motif of the opening vodka spritzer line, Wayne continues, no matter who's buying, I'm a celebration, black and white diamonds fuck segregation. The surface play here is that Wayne does not discriminate when it comes to his jewelry, wearing both black and white diamonds simultaneously. He could also be referencing the fact that he's a black man successful enough to purchase such diamonds, a direct protest against the racial limitations segregation symbolizes.

To close out the verse, Wayne accelerates into a double-time flow, saying, fuck that shit, my money up, you N-words just honeynut. He continues the wealth boast while referencing the cereal Honeynut Cheerios to claim that his opposition is sweet, meaning soft or weak. He doubles down rapping Young Money running shit and U.N.N. words just runner-ups. Once again, he shouts out his record label

while playing off a racing motif where his crew wins, making everyone else second place or worse. The final line of the verse is clever in a few ways, as Wayne says, I don't feel I done enough, so I'm going to keep on doing this shit, little tunchee or young tuna fish.

While feeling like he's not done and wanting to continue could be a general reference to his rap career. It's also self-referential to this song and verse, as he'll momentarily stop rapping, only to quickly begin another verse after just a two-bar break. He then shouts out one of his more common nicknames, Lil Tunchi. According to Wayne, his grandmother Mercedes Carter used to call him Lil Toon,

likely a reference to his musical intuition. Wayne added the chi at the end, inspired by the name of the designer brand Gucci. He ends by giving himself an alternative nickname, young tuna fish. With tuna being associated with a woman's vagina, Wayne could be boasting he's swimming in pussy. But again, we also have to consider this song was his first since being released from jail. Like Tunafish, Wayne was fresh out the can. The closest thing this song has to a chorus is this two-bar break,

where the instrumental switches from the banana sample back to the 6'7 sample with the bass removed. This brief respite allows us to once again consider what this sample could signify. While we already acknowledge that the banana boat's refrain of wanting to go back home makes for a perfect thematic backdrop for Wayne's prison sentence. We can also hear this specific sample, 6 foot, 7, foot, 8 foot, as referencing the dimensions of a jail cell. Specifically, the cells at Rikers Island, where Wayne served as sentence, are 6 feet by 8 feet,

two of the three measurements heard in the sample. True to his word about not feeling like he's done enough, Wayne jumps back into the beat like a fish thrown back into water, delivering a verse that's over double the length of the first. We'll dissect that verse in its entirety right after the break. Wayne begins the second verse, I lost my mind, it's somewhere out there stranded. One of his hallmarks,

Wayne takes a figure of speech literally, creating the image of his mind lost in space or stranded in a desert. It's also possible he's referring to his jail sentence, as Rikers Island is literally a 413-acre island, where Wayne lost his mind while serving his time. He continues, I think you stand under me if you don't understand me. Seeing as he previously said,

he's so misunderstood, it would seem Wayne is standing over most of us lame and earthlings. The next couplet is paradoxically clever, as he raps, Had my heartbroken by this woman named Tammy, but Ho's going to be Ho's so I couldn't blame Tammy. Wayne understands well his reputation for clever punchlines, so when he describes being hurt by this woman Tammy, he knows we're expecting this to be a setup for a witty insult. But instead he simply rhymes Tammy with Tammy, which given our expectations is just as surprising as a clever rhyme. The woman reference here seems to be Wayne's ex, Tammy Torres, who allegedly

cheated on him with Drake, who was signed with Wayne's label. Allegedly, Drake told Wayne about the affair when Drake went to visit him at Riker's Island. On the song How to Hate from Carter 4, Wayne also seemed to address this situation. Wayne continues six foot, seven foot, juxtaposing the backstabbing Tammy with the most loyal woman in his life, rapping, Just Talk to Mom's, told her she the sweetest. Wayne has long been vocal about his relationship with his mother, Jada C Carter, who raised Wayne alone after his dad left the family when he was two.

While serving his jail sentence, Wayne penned a public letter to his mom for Mother's Day, which was published on his website. He wrote, quote, The love between a mother and her offspring is hands down the most beautiful thing God created. And he goes on to tell her, quote, You are my heart and you are my soul. Please don't ever forget that. We've been through everything one could possibly imagine.

together. With each obstacle that has come our way, you have handled it with the grace and dignity I can only hope to mimic." When Wayne was released from prison, his mother was waiting for him in the car that picked him up. So it's possible that the line I just talked to mom, told her she the sweetest, is specifically referencing that interaction. He doesn't stay sentimental for long as he continues rapping, I beat the beat up, call it self-defense. Swear man, I've been seeing through these N-words-like sequence. N-words think they he-man, pow-pow at the end. At this point, we have to acknowledge Wayne's talent at forcing words to rhyme by bending their pronunciation. In this four-bar run, he rhymes sweetest, defense, sequence, and the end, all words that aren't obvious rhymes when said

casually. But Wayne recognized that each of these words contain the long E sound, which he exaggerates and stretches to the point that we register it as a natural rhyme. The repetitive wordplay beat the beat-up is likely toying with the idea of his rapid fire punch lines. He then plays on the translucence of sequent ornaments to say that he sees through fake tough rivals that think they're as the superhero character He-Man. Wayne then uses the Anamontapia POW, a nod to comic book sound effects, to illustrate the one-two punch that he uses to easily take them down. This also works as a callback to his claim that he beats the beat up,

as we now hear him literally mimicking a punching sound over the beat. Niggins, n, n, talking to myself because I am my own consultant. Married to the money, fuck the world, that's a dope trick. You full of shit, you close your mouth and let your dog, dude, you know I'm over. Wayne begins a new rhyme scheme rapping, Talking to Myself, because I am my own consultant. With a consultant being a hired expert to give professional advice, the play here is that Wayne is the rap expert, and so he only consults himself.

Talking to oneself is also associated with being crazy, which continues the misunderstood alien motif. It's also something you do in solitude, once again alluding to his prison sentence. He continues, married to the money, fuck the world. On their own, these are common phrases used to describe one's focus on getting money and ignoring everything else in the world. But again, Wayne takes these idioms literally, surprising us with the punchline, that's adultery, meaning that if he's literally married to the money, then technically fucking the world is considered adultery. Next Wayne wraps, you full as shit, you close your mouth and let your ass talk. Both talking out of your ass and being full of shit are used to refer to someone talking nonsense or espousing falsehoods.

Again, Wayne takes these sayings literally to create a grotesque image of someone literally shitting themselves. This makes for a somewhat awkward transition into the line, Young Money Eaton, all you haters do is add salt. The play here is on his haters being salty or resentful, as Wayne compares his full meal to his haters' measly seasoning. And if Wayne's crew is eating, then all the hate does is add a little flavor to their already delicious four-course meal. The next line, stop playing bitch, I got this game on Deadbolt. It's a riff off the phrase, got the game on lock,

which means to have it 100% controlled in your favor. Referring to the rap game, Wayne substitutes lock for a specific type, a deadbolt, and tells his haters to quit playing, a double entendre meaning to quit playing the game, and to stop lying, a callback to the full of shit bar. Wayne then takes another idiom literally saying, mind so sharp I fuck around and cut my head off. Having a sharp mind means that you're quick to notice, hear, understand, or react to things, calling back to Wayne being his own consultant.

He then says, real N-word all day and tomorrow, but these motherfuckers talking crazy like their jaw broke. Along with the wordplay that someone with a broken jaw would be slurring their words like a crazy person. This line references the famous Kevin Hartbit about overzealous claims of realness. Yeah, real niggins all day, just me, by myself, on the block, hold me down, gun in my waist, straight face all day, not a game, in jail, by myself. One bed, no pillow can. One pillow. Didn't nobody write me. It was early.

Woke up. Went back to sleep. Took a nap. You ever go night, night, d'n't? You ever go night, night, nita? Wayne continues wrapping, Glass half empty, half full, I'll spill ya.

The classic question of seeing a glass half full or empty is used to determine whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. But a sharp-minded Martian like Wayne cannot be defined by such basic questions, and he proves it by providing an alternate answer, I'll spill ya. This is perhaps a threat, meaning to spill one's blood and internal organs after a shooting.

In this way, Wayne is neither optimist nor pessimist. He's a masochist. The threats continue, try me and run into a wall. This plays off the idiom like running into a brick wall, used to describe facing an insurmountable obstacle or dead end. But Wayne puts a twist on it by adding outfielder, referring to baseball outfielders who literally run into the barricade wall when trying to catch a home run ball.

So not only is Wayne the insurmountable object in this analogy, He's also the batter hitting home runs. He extends the metaphor, you know I'm a ball until they turn off the field lights. Usually balling refers to both excelling in basketball and to one's wealth. But field lights are used on baseball fields, not basketball courts. So once again, Wayne tweaks the standard definition of a word with clever context. The sports analogy continues,

bitch stop playing, I do it like a king do. It appears he's riffing on Nike's slogan, Just Do It, perhaps comparing himself to Nike athlete LeBron James, whose nickname is King James. In this context, Stop Playing is a command to his competition to end their attempts to win, as Wayne is ruling the court like King James. But there's also the possibility that Wayne is referencing It, the horror novel and movie about an evil clown named Pennywise that preys on children.

The original novel was written by Stephen King. Thus, Stop Playing Do It, like a King do, could be Wayne comparing himself to Pennywise, killing his competition. In this reading, Stop Playing is a twist on what children do, play. The next bar, if these N-word's animals, then I'm a have a mink soon, adds a potential third layer to the king line. The surface plays that Wayne is out here killing the competition, which he compares to slaughtering animals and wearing their fur as a coat. But notice how I do it like a king do plays off the idea of animal kingdom, with King do being the first six letters of the seven-letter word, kingdom. Wayne continues his extended verse, Tell him bitches I say put my name on the wall.

typically one's name would be inscribed or painted on a wall in memoriam so the boast appears to be that he's legendary or timeless next we get the line i speak the truth but i guess that's a foreign language to y'all this again hits the motif of being misunderstood wayne's truth or wisdom is observational as he continues and i call it like i see it he then pauses briefly as if looking around and then finishes the line and my glasses on the initial play here is on his clarity of vision which his eyeglasses provide him but he quickly flips this basic interpretation with the next line, but most of y'all don't get the picture unless the flash is on. The claim is that laymen's don't see the truth or picture unless it's made obvious, signified by the bright flash that illuminates otherwise dark areas in a photo. But this also changes the eyeglasses of the previous bar to sunglasses, meaning that he can see the truth or picture even behind the darkness of his shades while the rest of us need a flash.

He continues, satisfied with nothing, you don't know the half of it. This is a play on the phrase never satisfied, with Wayne paradoxically saying that we don't know the half of nothing, meaning we know less than nothing, continuing the motif of the ignorance of others. Wayne's next line is a bit strange at first, as he simply says, young money, cash money, and then he goes silent for the second half of the bar. But if we think of the previous line, you don't know the half of it. We realize that Wayne just wrapped half a bar, and we don't know the second half. We literally only know the half of it.

Wayne's whittiness, tell that paper, look, I'm right behind you. Bitch, real G's moving silence like lasagna. People say I'm bored, I call that kiss and tail. Wayne's wittiness continues, paper chasing, tell that paper, look, I'm right behind you. Paper chasing is a phrase used to describe someone hustling or pursuing money. Again, Wayne takes the phrase literally, as he's such a skilled hustler that he's able to sneak up behind the paper without it knowing, as if he's going to rob it. This leads us to one of the most memorable lines in hip-hop history.

bitch, real G's move in silence like lasagna. The concept of G's or gangsters operating in silence dates back to the old Italian mafia saying known as Omerta, which means good is he who sees and is silent. This code of silence was the mafia's operational ethos, make moves discreetly, and never talk to the police. The idea eventually found its way into hip-hop culture to describe the way real G's or gangsters operate in the streets. Of course you don't you know bad boys moving silence and violence With that shit on my brain

I resort to violence my niggas move in silence Like you don't know without silence, You ain't talking about my niggins than what you're talking about G-gast's moving silence, nigga and I don't talk a lot Of course, Wayne adds his clever spin on this classic hip-hop trope By comparing the silence of G's to the silent G in the word lasagna With the coat of silence being associated with the Italian mafia Wayne seems to have purposely chosen an Italian dish for a simile

Since 6' foot's release, this line has been quoted by a handful of rappers, with some inspired to find a different word with a silent G. has two different meanings. First is alluding to borderline personality disorder, a mental illness that severely impacts a person's ability to regulate their emotions. Second, it's used to mean that Wayne is close to crazy, but perhaps not quite. He then cleverly uses two words that also described as indeterminate quality, sorta and kinda, which within this playful analogy might be the kind of babbling speech a cliche quote-unquote crazy person might use. Another thing a crazy person might do is not sleep. Tying into the next line, Woman of my dreams, I don't sleep so I can't find her.

Again, Wayne takes a figure of speech literally, playing with the idea that he's so focused on his grind that he doesn't sleep, and therefore has no opportunity to find his ideal or dream woman. He continues, you N-words are gelatin, peanuts to an elephant. Gelatin is an ingredient present in things like gummy candy, marshmallows, and perhaps most famously, jello. Wayne uses gelatin to call his opposition soft or unthreatening. And just like peanuts,

in size to elephants and are eaten by them, Wayne is claiming his haters are nothing more than a snack. Next we get the memorable line, I got through that sentence like a subject and a predicate. The play here is on the grammatical structure of a sentence, which contains a subject, the noun, and a predicate, the grammatical term that includes all the words in a sentence except for the subject. But Wayne is also referring to his prison sentence, which he got through in the same way as he writes his sentences or lyrics, with ease. The kicker here is that predicate also refers to to a predicate felon, which in the state of New York is the name for a previously convicted felon being convicted for a second felony offense. Note that this terminology is specific to New York,

the very state in which Wayne was convicted of his felony, making him a predicate felon if he ever gets in trouble with the law there again. He continues, yeah, with a swag you would kill for, money too strong, pockets on bodybuilder. As we near the end of Wayne's birth, he appropriately calls back to the beginning of the song, where we heard the bar, Swagger Down Pat. We also recognize the quick internal rhymes of Too Strong and Pockets On, while Bodybuilder is bent to sound like Bill Door to force the rhyme with Kill For. Finally, Wayne closes out his verse rapping, Jumped in a wishing well, now wish me well,

Tell him kiss my ass, call it kiss and tell. As his final lines, Wayne jumping off something and becoming out of sight makes for a classic parting image. Traditionally, one throws coins into a wishing well, so it stands to reason that the bottom of the well would be filled with money. Being the borderline crazy paper chaser that he is, Wayne jumps into the well to pursue this money, tying into his previous bars about his hustling spirit, work ethic, and deep pockets. The final bar cleverly fuses two figures of speech, kiss my ass, and kiss and tell, to create something akin to a chasmus, which is a rhetorical device in which two or more clauses

are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures. For example, you can find chiasic structure in the saying, never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you. Notice how kiss fool you is a mirror or reversal of fool kiss you. Likewise in Wayne's bar we observe how both tell him kiss my ass and call it kiss and tell are not only five words each but also five syllables creating perfect symmetry. We also notice how tell is both the first and last word of the bar while kiss is the third word in phrase one and the third word in phrase two. This also works in reverse as kiss would still be the third word in each phrase if read backwards. As far as the meaning of the bar,

Wayne playfully tells his haters to kiss his ass. He then flips the phrase, kiss and tell, which typically means revealing your private relations with someone to play on the fact that he told his haters to kiss his ass. And if that weren't enough wordplay for one bar, he caps off the verse with a homophone, as kiss and tell can also be heard kissing tail, with tail being another word for ass. Little Wayne's 6'5 is a virtuosic display of lyricism from a rapper summoning the peak of his powers. As the first song released after his prison sentence, Wayne made clear he wasn't interested in detailing his time at Riker's Island. Rather, he was more concerned with reaffirming his place at the top of hip-hop's hierarchy, rapping ferociously as if making up for lost time.

Like a Millie before it, 6'7 foot accomplished the extremely rare feat of a hit single without a hook. Instead, the track shines in its lyrical density. Wayne wraps a total of 56 bars, and of those 56 bars, 53 contain a punchline or an entendre, an incredible feat of lyrical concentration, wit, and creative stamina. Where most rappers take at least a bar to set up a punchline in the following bar, Wayne rarely waste a word, let alone a line, compacting his setups and punches into a single bar before doing it all over again in the next one. But the thing is, despite the difficulty of this level of lyrical potency, Wayne's punches rarely feel contrived. When at his best, there's a unique fluidity to his pen that's only enhanced by his charismatic, effortless delivery, like a practice

jazz soloist blowing out virtuosic runs with improbable ease. It's for this reason that Wayne has solidified himself as one of the best to ever do it. Indeed, while 2010 in many ways signaled the beginning of the end as his reign as best rapper alive, when it comes to the conversation of the greatest rappers of all time, Lil Wayne's historic run in the mid to late 2000s has forever solidified his seat at the table. Today's episode of Dissect. was written and produced by me. Additional analysis by Justin Sales. Audio editing by Kevin Pooler.

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