The Weezer frontman speaks with Pitchfork on collaborating with Lil Wayne.
Pitchfork: So Lil Wayne is on the Raditude track “Can’t Stop Partying”. How did that come about?
Rivers Cuomo: It might be my favorite track on the album. It was an epic process coming up with it between me, [co-writer] Jermaine Dupri, and [producer] Polow Da Don– and then Lil Wayne topped it off with this rap from the edge of the grave.
Pitchfork: Were you actually in the studio with Wayne?
RC: No, I’ve never met him. I’d love to.
Pitchfork: Why did you specifically want him instead of another rapper?
RC: He sounds like he’s totally insane– and not just for the sake of sounding crazy. He’s not trying to sound ghetto or gangsta or intellectual– he’s just very natural and weird.
The first time I really became aware of him was when he worked the Ninja Turtles into the song “Kush”. Let me look up the lyrics online. … Ok, he says, “I feel like I’m racing a bunch of little turtles/ Keep a bandana like the Ninja Turtles.” First of all, he rhymes “turtles” with “turtles,” which is crazy! Second, he pronounces “turtles” with this real hard “R” so he sounds super nerdy, which is something you don’t often hear from black rappers. Third, he references the Ninja Turtles! That’s another thing you don’t often hear.
Pitchfork: You guys are kind of like kindred spirits in a super weird way.
RC: Well, you’ve got the Weezer/Weezy connection. But, more importantly, he really tapped into the spirit of the song, which I really struggled with at first. There was no sense of irony or darkness or tension in the first draft I heard from Jermaine. It was purely “whoo-hoo, let’s drink, get stoned, and get it on,” which is a fine sentiment, but I couldn’t honestly put that out and have it be the end of the story. So I ended up turning the music into something dark and beautiful and haunting, which gave it a different meaning without changing the lyrics. Lil Wayne picked up on that and developed it with his rap.
Pitchfork: What’s he rapping about?
RC: I have his verse memorized, it’s so great. He’s rapping about how you can’t stop mixing drugs and alcohol, but there are a few words he chooses which are surprising and suggest a terrible end to the party. The last line is: “I hope the killer doesn’t take the life of the party.”
Previous: Weezer Team Up With Lil Wayne For “Can’t Stop Partying”
October 6th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
When can we expect this?
October 6th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Can’t wait for this song =]
October 6th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
ahh shit sounds like its gonna be raw, you need its gonna be a smash single for the white people, but wayne in it this song gon knock, cant wait, where the fuck is the wryclif jean, and wayne joint??
October 6th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
song sounds good……….. looking forward to it
October 6th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
At least we know Wayne ain’t gonna be singing like he was on Fall Out Boy’s song lol
October 6th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
when is it coming out???
October 6th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
GUNNA BE DOPE WHEN IT DROP
October 6th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
We need a new Weezy song cause we are in a drought
October 6th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
at “Ooohhh”……..”transformer” just recently came out and the “no ceilings” mixtape is coming out anytime now which is more then a new weezy song haha drought shouldn’t last long…..
October 6th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Everyone wants wayne on there shit.
October 7th, 2009 at 1:27 am
“I hope the killer doesn’t take the life of the party.”
Man, this line is sickkkk
Wayne gonna murder that shitt
Weezy 4Life
October 7th, 2009 at 1:31 am
word, evry1 does want wayne on their song, i cant wait for this song to come out!!!
and im guessing we are in a drought bcuz of the no ceiling mixtape which is obviously gunna be fire lol
October 7th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Shit is gonna be straight fire!
October 7th, 2009 at 3:03 am
this is going to on fire/sick
October 7th, 2009 at 3:32 am
cant fuckin wait for this shit to drop, i found RC to be a little racist and RC needs to listen to more lil wayne because wayne has had so many sicker metaphors than the one he explained
October 7th, 2009 at 6:21 am
can’T wait
what is whit rolller coaster
October 7th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
SHOWW IN AMSTERDAM WASSSS THE SHITTT… WAYNE KILLED IT OVA THEREE… BEST SHOW EVEE MAYBE I WILL POST SOME PICTURESS…