In early Dec. 2023, rapper Lil Wayne appeared on Tyga’s podcast to promote his latest album, a collaborative effort with YG called Hit Me When U Leave the Klub: The Playlist. Some Wayne fans, however, didn’t seem to hear a word the Lollipop rapper said — they were distracted by his face, instead.
And what was the problem with Wayne’s face, you may ask? According to a chorus of viewers on X, formerly Twitter, his mug looked a little puffy, and his eye was a bit red and swollen, but just on one side. This left many asking if Wayne was OK.
Or, as one person put it in the comments section, “What’s wrong with Wayne’s jaw?”
And another added, “What’s up with your face Wayne … you good bruh?”
As it turns out, several things might cause someone’s face to look like that, so let’s look at a few leading theories.
Health problems
If Lil Wayne was unwell on Tyga’s podcast, it didn’t seem that way, as he was animated and smiling, speaking with Tyga about his life in hip hop and other topics. Lil Wayne lives with epilepsy, but reportedly, he lives a pretty healthy life these days, keeping the condition under control, as per Epsy Health. Facial swelling isn’t a symptom of epilepsy, anyway.
Could it be kidney or liver problems? Those two things can cause facial swelling or edema, according to Mayo Clinic, as can congestive heart failure. But for now, whether Wayne lives with one or both of those conditions is pure speculation.
Drug use?
Lil Wayne is known to have substance use issues, and he’d been caught with illicit substances in a Miami airport as recently as 2020, The U.S. Sun reported. This raised the possibility that maybe Wayne’s face was swollen because of drug or alcohol use. Until he comments on the matter, there’s no way to know for sure.
On TikTok, someone commented that Wayne could be getting sober, which might also cause facial swelling. “You MF’s don’t know what it look like when someone’s getting sober,” one comment said.
Nothing
Or could there be nothing wrong with Wayne’s face? Age, weight gain or loss, or even dental surgery might be as plausible as any of those theories mentioned. Wayne is over 40, after all. In 2010, Pitchfork reported Wayne had eight — count ’em — eight root canals, and if he had work like that done again, it could cause facial swelling.
On TikTok, one person went with the age theory. ” … [E]veryone looks 10 years older.”
“Maybe he’s enjoying his money and enjoying some good ass food. Remember he’s also aging. So he might just straight up gaining weight,” another added.
Also, in the Tyga interview, Wayne mentioned his willingness to perform at the 2025 Super Bowl half-time show in New Orleans, his hometown — ask us, that’s a much bigger story than any possible facial swelling.