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Lil Wayne has made several contributions to the rap game. But perhaps his greatest contribution was introducing the world to Drake.
When Drizzy first burst onto the scene in the 2010s, most people just knew him as wheelchair Jimmy from Degrassi. And he just happened to rap. But it was a co-sign from Weezy and signing to his Young Money label, which took him mainstream. And ultimately led him to one of the biggest artists of all time.
Lil Wayne Recalls Discovering Drake & Nicki Minaj
During a recent appearance on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, Weezy told the story about how their partnership came to be. And how he immediately knew Drizzy was going to be a special artist.
“When I heard [Drake], it was all rap. Then, one of those hooks came in, and I was like, ‘Who’s on the hook?’ And they were like, ‘That’s him.’ And I was like, ‘That’s the guy? That’s him singing? Why he ain’t do more of this? It was instant. Like, come on, man,” he said on the podcast (via Kurrco/X).
Lil Wayne tells the story of signing Drake and Nicki Minaj and how he knew they were special:
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) July 21, 2026
"When I heard [Drake], it was all rap. Then, one of those hooks came in and I was like, 'Who's on the hook?' And they was like, 'That's him.' And I was like, 'That's the guy? That's him… pic.twitter.com/86RBvwYjJa
Drake wasn’t the only iconic artist to come from Weezy’s Young Money collective. So was Queens femcee Nicki Minaj. She had gained notoriety from her viral mixtapes and freestyles.
Wayne also told the story of how his partnership with Minaj came to be. He noted that it came at a time when he was specifically looking for a New York artist. And she and famed battle rapper Jae Mills also became a part of the Young Money collective.
One thing is for sure, Weezy definitely has an ear for talent.
