Lil Wayne Denies ‘Syrup’ Addiction, Defends Marijuana Use
During a recent interview with Katie Couric, rapper Lil Wayne denied being addicted to the drug known as "syrup." A mixture of codeine and promethazine, the drug is popular in the South and has been mentioned by rappers such as Three 6 Mafia and UGK.
Wayne denied his addiction to the concoction, but admitted to drinking so much "syrup" during shows and interviews that he suffered from stomach aches.
Not only did the New Orleans rapper admit to sipping syrup, but he defended marijuana, which he claims he uses for medical reasons. "I will stand up for marijuana any day... I'm a rapper. That's who I am, Miss Katie, and I am a gangster and I do what I want. And I love to smoke. And I smoke."
2009 Grammy Nominees
Lil Wayne: Album Of The Year, Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group, Best Rap Album
Christopher Owyoung, Retna
Coldplay: Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, Best Rock Song, Best Rock Album
Mark Venema, WireImage
Ne-Yo: Album Of The Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best Contemporary R&B Album
John Shearer, WireImage
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss: Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, Best Country Collaboration With Vocals, Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album
Mark Cornelison, WireImage
Radiohead: Album Of The Year, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, Best Rock Song, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Short Form Music Video
Nick Pickles, WireImage
Adele: Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Jo Hale, Getty Images
Duffy: Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album
Matt Cardy, Getty Images
Sheryl Crow: Best Pop Vocal Album
AP
Estelle: Song Of The Year, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Simone Joyner, Getty Image
Jason Mraz: Song Of The Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Jordan Strauss, WireImage
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Wayne went on to tell Couric that he smokes marijuana to deal with intense headaches (which coincidentally is one of the side effects of abusing codeine). "I have migraines that make me [want to] just kill myself," he said.
Couric also inquired if his drug use might send the wrong message to fans that look up to him. "Never in my life would I ever say, that I ever set out to be an example for people on how to live their lives,' he explained. "If you need an example for how to live then you just shouldn't have been born, straight up."
Yet when it comes to Wayne's two children, 10-year-old Reginae, and 2-month-old Dwayne III, the rapper tries to set a good example. "I'm a great role model 'cause I'm only a role model for two," he said. "And that's all, so why don't you worry about yours. Let them worry about theirs. I got mine."
The 'All Access Grammy Special' aired last night on CBS. Wayne is up for eight nominations for his 'Tha Carter III' album, which has sold more than 2.9 million units domestically. The 51st annual Grammy Awards airs Sunday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. on CBS. Buy on Amazon
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