“I Don’t Like Him at All”: When Kyle Larson Expressed Disdain for “Annoying” Rap Star Lil Wayne

Besides speed, and all things racing, Kyle Larson has a big liking for rap music. However, the Hendrick Motorsports driver, NASCAR’s leading man in recent years, is picky and choosy about the artists he loves to listen to. And, like a true connoisseur, he has his own valid reasons to love Drake and “hate” Lil Wayne.

The revelation came in a 2018 interview with Jeff Gluck when Larson was asked who he thinks is the best rapper alive.

“I like all types of music. I like rap music. I don’t have a favorite artist out of any genre. But I would say for me, I like listening to Drake,” responded Larson.

“I don’t know if he’s the best rapper alive, but currently I like him a lot. I can rap every word to Afroman’s ‘Crazy Rap’, but then again, I don’t think he’s the best rapper alive. So I’ll go with Drake for now,” he added.

When Gluck suggested he could have picked Lil Wayne, Larson quickly interjected. “I hate Lil Wayne,” he said, reasoning, “His voice is so annoying.”

Larson candidly added that if Lil Wayne’s tracks start playing, he quickly switches it off.

“I don’t like him at all,” Larson had reiterated.

Larson, however, put in a disclaimer too, saying that his musical preferences could change, hinting that he might even end up listening to Lil Wayne. He then narrated how he drifted away from Taylor Swift’s music over time. Despite this, Larson found himself at one of Swift’s concerts last year because his daughter is a big fan. This shows Larson is pretty open to exploring different musical genres, besides rap.

Talking about rap, many other NASCAR drivers follow the genre.

Which rap artists do other drivers like?

In 2018, when Kyle Busch faced the same question of who the best rapper alive was, he tackled it by drawing an analogy.

“This is like asking who the best President ever was. You get in a lot of trouble with fans these days and whose opinion matters most, which none of them do,” said Busch.

Eventually, he revealed his personal preference: “My favorite of all time, which I’ve always listened to, has been Eminem. I enjoy listening to Eminem and kind of hearing what his take is. Obviously, he’s kind of graphic sometimes and a little bit dirty or whatever. But I know a little about Tupac. He’s obviously really good.”

NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, meanwhile, has openly expressed his admiration for Gucci Mane. Martin’s revelations even led to a unique collaboration, resulting in him getting featured on one of Mane’s tracks last year.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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