VIBE: You say competition is for the “old guys” but it sounds like you’re going at Jay- Z with that line, “I got your baby money/Kidnap your *****, get that how-much-you-love-your-lady-money.” Are we looking at it in the wrong way?
Lil Wayne: I know for a fact, music is about perception. You can’t do anything but perceive what you hear. If I know that for a fact, I can never be upset abut someone’s reaction to it. I’m not gonna say I don’t know what will happen before I say it [on record]. I do know what will happen. I am aware of it. It is what it is.

So you knew the repercussions of going after Jay before anything even happened?
Well, I’m a man. I believe as a man you should know that. Every man should know the repercussion and consequences behind whatever they do before they do it. And of course, I know there wont be any repercussion behind what I did.

When you were in prison you blogged that the hardest part wasn’t being locked up, but being away from your children. Now that you are out, you’re juggling parenthood, behind head of a label and a touring artist. Is it overwhelming?
It isn’t as tough as it seems because I’ve been doing this for a long time, so everything’s kind of in place—and I thank God for that. It can get tough, at times, and it can get difficult. But the more complicated it gets, the more better it is. I’ve settled with the fact that I’m a wanted artist.

In what way?
There are superstars that people love or are fans of. Fortunately, I’m an artist that my fans actually want to be around me and see me. They want to feel me. That’s why I go on tour a lot, because I actually satisfy my fans with it. That’s the whole point of it; just satisfying fans.

One thing you were never banking on was becoming a tabloid fixture on the blogs from various legal issues to who you are dating. How do you deal with the fact that you will never again experience anonymity?
You don’t deal with it. You deal with life. You deal with what’s really going on and what’s really real—that’s your four kids, that’s your mother, that’s your family, that’s your business and that’ the people around you. You don’t deal with what people are saying.

I don’t know anyone else who could get away with having three of his children’s mothers [VH1 reality show star Toya Carter, singer Nivea and actress Lauren London] all smiles and peaceful when spending Christmas together. Want to give a few pointers?
I don’t think it’s anything that I do. It’s the person that I am. I think that just has a lot to do with it. It’s the same answer to the question about why I was never told I won’t be a rapper or I won’t be successful. There aren’t any problems with any of my personal or social situations because it’s who I am and what I am.