Things couldn't be going much better for Lil Wayne's career. He's one of pop music's major stars, and he's responsible for the paths of Drake and Nicki Minaj, who are not only among his biggest competitors, but are signed to his Young Money label.
But earlier this week, Lil Wayne was called to task by three little girls. Sisters Nia, 10, Nya, 9, and Kamaria, 5, who form the Baltimore, Maryland-based group Watoto From The Nile, released a song, "Letter To Lil Wayne," that questions the New Orleans rapper's lyrics that degrade women and promote drug abuse.
"Letter To Lil Wayne" is recorded over an instrumental of the Lil Wayne song "I'm Single." In less than one week, the independent release on Solvivaz Records has received nearly 200,000 plays and was featured on numerous blogs.
While the song is written in a respectful tone and Wayne is referred to as "mister" and "sir" throughout, it is direct from its opening line: "This message is for Mr. Wayne. I'm sorry but I must complain about what you do and what you say."
The song gets more specific: "People say, 'Say no to drugs,' so tell me Sir who should I trust. You or them?'" One of the lines even asks Wayne if he is also speaks disrespectfully to his own daughter. "I hear you got a little girl. Does she get the same referral you call the world. Not trying to lean. I hope you call her little queen," the girls ask.
The song has received mixed responses, according to Jabari Natur, the girls' father and the song's producer and co-writer. The group has been flooded with interview requests and invitations to perform and make appearances, including an offer to be in a play.
"We got great response and positive feedback," Natur told Yahoo! Music. "I am disappointed by the negative reaction that we've got. Some of the hate mail that we've gotten from people. .. [These are] 10-, 9-, and 5-year-old little girls and the statements that are being made on some of these websites ... and all because we are talking about respecting women?"
Among their milder critics is up-and-coming rapper Chase Million$$$, who defends Wayne in his song "Letter To Watoto From The Nile" rhyming, "There's some things you won't understand because you're just a child."
As of Friday afternoon, Watoto From The Nile, which means children from the Nile in Swahili, had not been contacted by anyone in Lil Wayne's camp. But Natur said the song isn't just about Lil' Wayne; it is speaking out in general against music with negative messages.
Watoto From The Mile decided to write to Lil Wayne after hearing his song "I'm Single" on the radio. The group was shocked that so much of the song was bleeped out because of the explicit lyrics.
"We want to take back the radio airwaves," Natur said. "We want music to get right."
