Lil Wayne

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.

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).