Lil Wayne's Business to Pick Up After His Release From Prison

Lil Wayne is being released from Riker's Island prison on Thursday. His release is highly anticipated, as he is considered the hottest artist in the hip-hop game, right up with his fellow prison inmate, T.I. I love T.I.'s music and I can sometimes tolerate Lil Wayne, but I quietly wonder when the day might arrive that an artist doesn't have to go to the pen to prove that he's a real man.

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Hip-Hop At The Movies

Hip Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years
The hip-hop industry has had tremendous influence on the film industry over the last 25 years, from 'Krush Grove' to 'ATL.' Here's a look at some of the hip-hop films that have been influential over the years.

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Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

Wild Style
This 1983 film was the first to feature hip-hop artists such as Fab Five Freddy, Lee Quinones, the Rock Steady Crew, the Cold Crush Brothers, Patti Astor, Sandra Fabara and Grandmaster Flash. Directed by Charles Ahearn, the film provided a window to MCing, turntablism, graffiti and break dancing.

Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

Breakin'
Breakin' is a 1984 breakdancing-themed film that starred Lucinda Dickey, Adolfo Quinones, and Michael Chambers. Rapper Ice-T made his film debut in the film, which centered on a struggling young jazz dancer (played by Dickey), who meets up with two break-dancers. Together, they become the sensation of the street crowds.

Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

Beat Street
Following the release of 'Wild Style,' 'Beat Street' was also focused on break dancing, DJing, and graffiti. Directed by Stan Lathan in 1984, the movie starred Guy Davis, Rae Dawn Chong, Mary Alice, Saundra Santiago, and Franc Reyes. Artists such as Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force, Doug E. Fresh, Clive "Kool Herc" Campbell, and Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five made cameo appearances and were also featured on the soundtrack.

Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

Krush Groove
Directed by Michael Schultz, and based on the early days of Def Jam founder Russell Simmons, the 1985 hip-hop classic introduced numerous artists to the world outside of hip, including Run- DMC, the Beastie Boys, New Edition, Rick Rubin, the Fat Boys, Full Force, Sheila E., LL Cool J and Blair Underwood.

Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

Do The Right Thing
Written and directed by Spike Lee in 1989, 'Do The Right Thing' starred Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, and John Turturro. Included in the soundtrack was Public Enemy's 'Fight the Power.'

Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

House Party
Released in 1990 by New Line Cinema, 'House Party' combined hip-hop with comedy, as rap duo Christopher "Kid" Reid and Christopher "Play" Martin of the popular hip-hop duo Kid n' Play starred as best friends throwing a party with their friends, played by Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, A.J. Johnson and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell. Also in the film were Paul Anthony, Bow-Legged Lou, and B-Fine from Full Force, and comedian Robin Harris (who died of a heart attack nine days after the film was released. The film was directed by Reginald Hudlin, who later served as president of Entertainment for BET from 2005 to 2008.

Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

Boyz N The Hood
Directed by John Singleton in 1991, 'Boyz N the Hood' is a gritty portrayal of life in South Central Los Angeles.The film starred a host of newcomers, including rapper Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, and Regina King. It was nominated for an Academy Award for best director and original screenplay in 1991, making Singleton the youngest person ever nominated for best director and the first African American.

Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

New Jack City
Directed by Mario Van Peebles, 'New Jack City' is a 1991 crime-thriller/neo-noir film starring Wesley Snipes, Allen Payne, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson and Chris Rock. Considered a hip hop classic, the soundtrack featured the music of Guy with Teddy Riley, Keith Sweat, Color Me Badd, and Johnny Gill.

Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

Juice
Spike Lee collaborator and cinematographer Ernest Dickerson made his directorial debut with the 1992 crime-drama film 'Juice,' which starred rapper Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. Other cast members included Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain and Samuel L. Jackson, and features cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five Freddy, and Treach. The film follows four inner-city teens who get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as "the juice."

Hip-Hop At The Movies -- Through The Years

But regardless of what I think (or anyone else for that matter), Lil Wayne keeps his pockets full. His latest album, 'I am not a Human Being,' was released while he was behind bars and it still sold 125,000 units during the first week. His brand is one of the most powerful, relevant and valuable assets in all of hip-hop. According to celebritynetworth.com, Weezy is worth an estimated $75 million. He also earned an estimated $18 million last year.

Ironically, Weezy may find that his brand grows in value because he spent time in prison. Hip-hop has the dysfunctional habit of rewarding artists when they "keep it real" by doing time in the penitentiary. Going to prison brings along valuable publicity and added authenticity to the artist's music, both of which add to the bottom line. The double-edged sword of spending time in prison is that it is disruptive to the business model of the artist. If you are in prison, you can't perform, you can't show up for meetings, you can't go into the studio and you can't run your organization. So, I fully expect that Lil Wayne's time in prison has helped him to realize the enormity of the financial loss he will incur if he doesn't become more disciplined in his behavior.

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I'm not sure if Lil Wayne is a fad or an artist who's meant to last forever. Given that he has Tupac-like productivity, he could be making money for decades whether he's dead or alive. Given that Wayne likes to party hard, carry guns and mess around with drugs, I wonder if his story might end like Tupac's.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.