Today (Aug. 2), Billboard published a new interview with Lil Wayne that saw him reflecting on the current state of hip hop 50 years later. “I think [the milestone] probably means more to me than I even know because I am still in it, a deep part of it, and I’m still learning every day,” he said. “Hip hop will never be over. But I also think that maybe down the line, I’ll be able to answer that question better because I don’t think I know how much it means to me yet — because it means that much.”

He was also asked about his personal journey within the culture, which began when he was in single digits. “I’ve been rapping since I was 7, actually. And I signed my deal when I was 11,” the New Orleans legend revealed. “I didn’t think about nothing else other than ‘We about to be the biggest everything’… I was a kid, you know? It was like, what are you going [to want] for Christmas? As far as unforgettable moments go [back then], I would say that was probably my first time grabbing a mic as a kid at a block party, breaking my fear, and rapping stuff that I had rapped in the mirror for, like, thousands of hours the night before.”

Since 1995’s True Story, Lil Wayne contributed scores of albums, singles, and collaborations across genres, generating more than 200 million records worldwide. His most recent solo effort, 2020’s Funeral, became his fifth No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Even after accomplishing so much, the “Lollipop” talent shows zero signs of slowing down. “I just try to get better and better and better… I just work. I just keep going. I never stop. It’s just the work ethic, plain and simple. No more, no less. I don’t do nothing but my music,” he explained.