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Lil Wayne is responding to accusations that he misused funds from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG), a government program meant to help struggling arts and entertainment businesses during the pandemic. Some reports claimed that Wayne used the nearly $9 million he received from the grant for private jets, designer clothing, lavish parties, and vacations. However, when the rapper was questioned about the allegations, he appeared confused, simply saying, “I don’t know what that means.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Wayne’s manager, Fabian Marasciullo, directly rejected the claims, stating, “He ain’t got nothing to do with none of that s*it. It’s not the way his money comes and goes.” Marasciullo went on to clarify that Wayne’s finances are “audited and clean,” implying that there’s no truth to the allegations.
A 2023 Business Insider report had claimed that Wayne received almost $9 million under the SVOG, but instead of using it to support his music business, he allegedly spent most of it on luxury hotels, designer clothes, and parties. The report also said that Wayne only paid $327,000 to contractors for work related to his tours. Additionally, the report mentioned a controversial text message Wayne allegedly sent to reporter Katherine Long after she contacted him for comment on the story.
While Wayne didn’t deny sending the explicit message, he defended his response, saying, “Any female that texts me is going to probably receive a sxual comment.” He further explained, “My phone is a personal phone, so if you even got my number, that means you went out your way and doing too much, and if you texted me and I send you something you don’t like, then sck my d*ck.”
The 2023 report also mentioned other artists like Chris Brown, who allegedly received $10 million for his company CBE Touring, and Marshmello, who were both named in the investigation. It claimed that Chris Brown spent nearly $80,000 on his extravagant birthday party and paid $5.1 million to himself.
Meanwhile, Lil Wayne is busy promoting his much-anticipated album, Tha Carter VI, set to release on June 6. The album marks his big return to the hip-hop scene and features collaborations with artists like Wyclef Jean, MGK, Miley Cyrus, and even opera legend Andrea Bocelli. Additionally, the album will include a special project with a New Orleans supergroup, The Gumbo, featuring artists like Jon Batiste, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, and Ledisi.