Lil Wayne

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Lore & Background

Lil Wayne's involvement in "Forever" came after the track had already been through several iterations. The beat, produced by Boi-1da, was first used by Kardinal Offishall in early 2008 on the unreleased song "Bring It Back" featuring R. City. After Kardinal did not use it for his album, it was re-sold to Drake. An original version leaked in late 2008 as "I Want This Forever" featuring Lil Wayne and Kidd Kidd. The officially released version features Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. According to an interview with West, when he heard Eminem's verse, he went back and rewrote his own verse for two days. Similarly, Lil Wayne rewrote his verse after hearing Eminem's. In response, Eminem told *Complex* that he felt the beat was a double-time beat, so he rapped faster. The music video was shot at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida, in early September 2009, directed by Hype Williams. Birdman makes a cameo appearance in the video during Lil Wayne's verse, sitting next to him in the VIP section of a club.

In Their Own Story

The studio session for "Forever" became a showcase of competitive craftsmanship. When Kanye West heard Eminem's verse, he cancelled appointments to rewrite his own for two days. Lil Wayne, upon hearing Eminem's verse, also rewrote his. Eminem later explained to *Complex* that he approached the beat differently than the others: "For some reason, I felt the beat was a double-time beat, so I rapped faster." The song's title comes from the last line of the chorus: "I want this shit forever, mane." Jay-Z called it "the best posse cut of the year." The song entered the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 58 on September 3, 2009, peaking at number 2. It debuted at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Drake's highest debut on the chart at the time and his second top-ten single. It also topped the Rap Songs chart, becoming Drake's second number one on that chart. As of April 2013, the song had sold 3,265,000 digital copies in the US, becoming Drake's first 3 million-seller.

Reader's Guide

Lil Wayne's contribution to "Forever" is a key moment in the song's history. He is one of four featured artists on the track, alongside Drake, Kanye West, and Eminem. The song was produced by Boi-1da and written by the artists. Lil Wayne performed the song live with Drake, Eminem, and Travis Barker at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. In the music video, Birdman makes a cameo appearance during Lil Wayne's verse, sitting next to him in the VIP section of a club. The video was shot at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida, in early September 2009, directed by Hype Williams. It premiered on September 22, 2009, on BET's *106 & Park*. The song was originally released on August 27, 2009, as the third single from the soundtrack to LeBron James' documentary *More than a Game* and was placed on the *Refill* re-release of Eminem's album *Relapse* (2009).

Did You Know?

• Lil Wayne rewrote his verse on 'Forever' after hearing Eminem's verse.
• An early leaked version of the song from late 2008 was titled 'I Want This Forever' and featured Lil Wayne and Kidd Kidd.
• Birdman makes a cameo appearance in the music video during Lil Wayne's verse, sitting next to him in the VIP section of a club.
• Lil Wayne performed 'Forever' with Drake, Eminem, and Travis Barker at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
• The song's title comes from the last line of the chorus: 'I want this shit forever, mane.'