Chris Brown joined a number of fellow musicians in sending their praise and heartfelt messages to Lil Wayne after the rapper sparked retirement rumors with a series of cryptic messages posted to his Twitter account on Saturday.
The rumors began after Wayne took to Twitter Saturday afternoon to share a message about feeling “defenseless” and “mentally defeated” before hinting that he may be leaving the music industry for good.
I AM NOW DEFENSELESS AND mentally DEFEATED & I leave gracefully and thankful I luh my fanz but I’m dun
— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) September 3, 2016
While Lil Wayne didn’t elaborate on the inspiration behind his initial tweet, which later included a follow-up message that reads, “ain’t lookin for sympathy, just serenity,” artists and fans alike took to social media to send their prayers and support to Lil Wayne before aiming to reflect on the rapper’s influential career in the hip hop industry.
@LilTunechi Prayers up 4 whatever u may be enduring right now this to will pass & may u find PEACE???????? I will always be a fan of your work????????
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) September 3, 2016
get Birdman on the phone. https://t.co/pYr0WIeaYY
— Yung Rénzél (@rickyrozay) September 3, 2016
I hope you find some solace in the act of creating and continue to practice in some capacity the art which you helped progress @LilTunechi
— EG| Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco) September 3, 2016
Dear @LilTunechi I just wanna remind you that absolutely nothing and no one in this world can defeat you. Tell them devils back back.
— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) September 3, 2016
Chris Brown was one of the many artists who expressed their admiration and gratitude for Lil Wayne amid rumors of the rapper’s retirement, ultimately prompting Brown to take to Instagram yesterday to share a photo of him and Wayne alongside a heartfelt caption in which he refers to Lil Wayne as “the greatest rapper alive.”
“This man helped my career in so many ways and has inspired me to live life!!!!” Chris Brown began in his Instagram message. “FOREVER WILL BE THE GREATEST RAPPER ALIVE!!!! NONe OF YOU RAPPERS WOULDN’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START. REALISTICALLY MOST OF YALL ARE HIS STUDENTS AND DON’T WANT TO ADMIT IT!!!! YMOHB!!!!!!”
While Lil Wayne has not commented on speculation surrounding his rumored retirement, which has included rumors ranging from illness to further contractual disputes with Cash Money, Chris Brown seemingly weighed in with his thoughts on the reasoning behind Lil Wayne’s cryptic tweets with an additional note posted alongside his Instagram caption.
Chris Brown further explained, “(and I know that Wayne wrote for d*** near all cash money records artist when he was a teenager.) n***** wanna be down when it’s all good but soon as they feel the pressure you have to deal wit they all will fade) #YMOHB.”
Currently, Lil Wayne’s camp has not responded to the retirement rumors, nor have they commented on speculation suggesting that Wayne’s health and ongoing dispute with Cash Money are to blame for the rapper’s cryptic tweets, Billboard reports.
Earlier this year, Lil Wayne’s health made headlines after the rapper reportedly suffered a series of life-threatening seizures while onboard a flight back in March. While rumors at the time suggested that Lil Wayne’s “syrup addiction” had resulted in numerous health complications for the rapper over the years, Lil Wayne previously spoke out against the claims during an interview with Power 106 in Los Angeles in 2013 in which he explained that stress and exhaustion often exacerbate his condition, MTV reports.
“The thing is, man, the bad news is, I’m an epileptic, so I’m prone to seizures. This isn’t my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh seizure. I’ve had a bunch of seizures; y’all just never hear about it,” Wayne revealed during his interview. “This time it got real bad because I got three of ’em in a row, and on the third one, my heart rate went down to like, 30 percent. Basically, I could’ve died soon. That’s why it was so serious.”
Lil Wayne further noted that the reason for the sudden spike in seizures is a result of “just plain stress, no rest and overworking myself,” leading some to speculate that the ongoing dispute between Lil Wayne and record label Cash Money are to blame for his recent health concerns.
Lil Wayne hints at retirement: “I’m dun” https://t.co/Ojml2Us0AU pic.twitter.com/RIKRkeh5PX
— Rap-Up (@RapUp) September 3, 2016
Similarly, the dispute between Wayne and Cash Money Records has led some fans to worry that the rapper’s cryptic tweets about retirement may be the result of ongoing strained relations between Lil Wayne and Birdman, who both called off settlement discussions regarding Lil Wayne’s $51 million lawsuit against the record label just four months ago.
While Lil Wayne has not made a public statement regarding the retirement rumors, the rapper seemingly dispelled the retirement speculation later that evening with another cryptic tweet that read, “I’m good y’all don’t trip.”
What do you think of Chris Brown’s Instagram message about Lil Wayne?
[Photos by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images; Michael Tullberg/Getty Images]