In a recent interview, Lil Wayne was asked to name his top five rappers of all time. Without much hesitation, he rattled off some big names in the hip-hop world. Among them was Drake, which might come as a surprise to some, especially since Wayne chose not to include Kendrick Lamar.

Wayne’s list included JAY-Z, Missy Elliott, Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G., and Drake. He made it clear that there was no particular order to his choices. Interestingly, Wayne has always been vocal about his support for Drake ever since signing him to his Young Money label back in 2009.

“My Top 5 rappers of all time are JAY-Z, Missy Elliott, Eminem, ummm… The Notorious B.I.G. — oh, and this is no specific order right here — and Drizzy,” Wayne shared.

Reflecting on Drake’s rise to fame, Wayne once said that he was impressed by Drake’s unique sound. He recalled, “I [saw] potential. When Drake’s music was brought to me from the homie Jas [Prince], it was about rap. I was like, ‘This dude sound different.’”

Wayne admired how Drake managed to connect with the streets, saying, “What I loved about him, he was sounding just as dope as we were. When I say we, I’m talking about the streets and what we came from.” Wayne even encouraged Drake to keep pushing boundaries, telling him, ‘You could make working in a cubicle — you know how to make that sound like the dopest thing in the world. Don’t stop.’

It seems Wayne’s admiration for Drake runs deep. He admitted to often rewriting his verses when collaborating with Drake because of the quality of Drake’s songwriting. “Everything Drake send back, I always have to go back and re-record,” Wayne confessed. “It’s always too hot. It’s always because he says something at the end that make me be like, ‘Oh, I could make more of the song and capitalize on what he just said.’ I have changed my verse a billion times because of Drake.”

On the other hand, even though Kendrick Lamar didn’t make the cut for Wayne’s top five, it’s not to say Wayne hasn’t recognized Kendrick’s talent. In 2016, after Kendrick called Wayne the “greatest” and acknowledged him as a huge influence, Wayne tweeted back, “Kendrick Lamar a real one #Respek.”

Wayne’s list sparked some conversation, but it ultimately reflected his personal connections and the artists who have impacted him the most.

Lil Wayne’s top five rappers list shows the deep connections and respect he has for certain artists.